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.

The Late, Great Caroll Spinney

Caroll Spinney, who played both Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird on long-running children's show Sesame Street, died today at the age of 85.

Carroll Spinney was born on December 26 1933 in Waltham, Massachusetts. He had an interest in drawing, painting, and puppetry from a young age. By age twelve he had a collection of 70 puppets, many made by his mother. He graduated from Acton-Boxborough Regional High School and then attended the Art Institute of Boston before dropping out to join the United States Air Force. While serving in Las Vegas he had his own professional puppet television show, playing Rascal Rabbit. Following his service he returned to Boston where he was a puppeteer for Bozo's Big Top for many years.

It was in 1969 that he met Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, at a puppeteer's festival in Las Vegas. From the very beginning he was a part of Sesame Street, from its debut in 1969. He played both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from the start. In 2015 he ceased puppeteering Big Bird as the role had become too physically demanding, but continued providing his voice and continued puppeteering Oscar. He retired entirely in 2018. Over the years he would sometimes voice other characters, including Bruno the Trashman and Bennett Snerf.  He also made appearances as either Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, or both on such shows as The Electric Company, Flip, The Muppet Show, Soul Man, Scrubs, The Bonnie Hunt Show, Portlandia, and Saturday Night Live. He also appeared in various movies as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, or both in such films as The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), and Follow That Bird (1985), among others. Caroll Spinney also appeared as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, or both in numerous TV specials and video releases, as well as making live appearances as the characters.

In addition to his work with Sesame Street, he voiced a dog in a pound in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993). Before Sesame Street he had built the puppets Picklepuss and Pop for Bozo's Big Top. Picklepuss and Pop were later rebuilt and used in the Jim Henson Play-Along video, Wow, You're a Cartoonist! in 1988.

Caroll Spinney voiced two of the most famous characters in a children's show ever. What makes that even more remarkable is that Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch not only had dramatically different voices, but they also had dramatically different personalities. Despite his size, Big Bird was perpetually six years old, naive and filled with wonder. Oscar was persistently grumpy and inclined to even be slightly rude at times, but ultimately had a soft heart under all that fur. The two characters were a large part of the success of Sesame Street from its very beginnings.

A Rock 'n' Roll Christmas Playlist

I feel a bit blue and under the weather today, so instead of a full-fledged blog post I decided to create a Rock 'n' Roll Christmas playlist for those of you who celebrate the holiday instead. Here are twenty song suitable for the Yuletide.

Godspeed Joan Staley

Joan Staley, who starred in such movies as Roustabout (1964) and The Ghost and Mrs. Chicken (1966) and guest starred on shows from Perry Mason to Batman, died on November 24 2019 at the age of 79. The cause was heart failure.

Joan Staley was born Joan Lynette McConchie on May 20 1940 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up in Los Angeles. Her mother took her to a concert when she was only three, which led her to ask her mother for a violin. She was first chair/second violin in Peter Meremblum's Junior Symphony by the time she was six years old. It was as a child violinist that she made her film debut in The Emperor's Waltz in 1948. Her father eventually enlisted in the Army as a chaplain, so that she attended high school in Washington D.C., Munich, and Paris. She attended Chapman College in Orange, California for a brief time before working as a teletype operator at the William R. Stats brokerage firm in San Francisco.

Miss Staley joined the Little Theatre in Hollywood, appearing in productions of The Robe, Brigadoon, and My Sister Eileen. She made her television debut in an episode of Perry Mason in 1958. In the late Fifties she had small guest roles on Laramie, Maverick, Bourbon Street Beat, Not For Hire, The Detectives, and Shotgun Slade. She had bit parts in the movies Bells Are Ringing (1960), Ocean's 11 (1960), and Midnight Lace (1960).

In the Sixties Joan Staley had regular roles on the variety show The Lively Ones, 77 Sunset Strip, and Broadside. She guest starred on such shows as The Tab Hunter Show, Bringing Up Buddy, The Asphalt Jungle, The Lawless Years, The New Breed, Frontier Circus, Bonanza, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Untouchables, Tales of Wells Fargo, 87th Precinct, Hawaiian Eye, The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriet, Alcoa Premiere, The Dick Powell Show, The Real McCoys, Wagon Train, The Joey Bishop Show, The Jack Benny Program, Burke's Law, The Virginian, McHale's Navy, The Munsters, Batman, Pistols 'n' Petticoats, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, and Adam-12. She appeared in the movies Dondi (1961), Gun Fight (1961), The Ladies Man (1961), Breakfast at Tiffany's  (1961), Valley of the Dragons (1961), Cape Fear (1962), Johnny Cool (1963),  A New Kind of Love (1963), Kissin' Cousins (1964), Kisses for My President (1964), Roustabout (1964), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), and Gunpoint (1966).

In 1967 she married MCA executive Dale Sheets. In 1969 she and Mr. Sheets founded International Ventures Incorporated, a company for the management of talent. Afterwards she only made two more acting appearances, the first in an episode of Adam-12 in 1972 and the second in an episode of Dallas in 1982.

By her own admission Joan Staley played primarily shapely blondes in tight dresses, but she was capable of much more. On Batman she played Okie Annie, the henchwoman of Western themed villain Shame. In The Ghost and Mr. Chicken not only did she wear a brunette wig, but her role was slightly more demure than many she had played during her career. In one episode of Perry Mason she even played a murder culprit. Of course, it must also be noted that Joan Staley was a talented child violinist as well as a talented actress. She also ran International Ventures Incorporated until last year when her daughter took over. Joan Staley may have been best known for playing blonde bombshells, but she was capable of much more.

The Late Great D. C. Fontana

Gene Roddenberry is credited as the creator of Star Trek,but as Trekkies well known there were others who expanded the Star Trek universe beyond his initial concept. One of those people was writer D. C. Fontana, who gave us much of what we know about Mr. Spock and Vulcans in general. So great were her contributions to the show that Star Trek as we know it would not exist without D. C. Fontana. Sadly, she died yesterday, December 2 2019, at the age of 80 following a brief illness.

D. C. Fontana was born Dorothy Catherine Fontana on March 25 1939 in Sussex, New Jersey. She grew up in Totowa, New Jersey. She was only 11 years old when she decided she wanted to write novels. She attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, where she graduated in 1957 with with an Executive Secretarial Associate degree. She then moved to New York City where she got a job at Screen Gems as a junior secretary to the president of the studio. She later moved to Los Angeles where she became part of the typing pool at Revue Studios. She was the secretary for writer Samuel A. Peeples while he worked on the TV Weseterns Overland Trail, The Tall Man, and Frontier Circus. It was while she was still working for Mr. Peeples that she sold her first story idea for television, the Tall Man episode "A Bounty for Billy." She also wrote her first teleplay for The Tall Man, the episode "Tiger Eye." She also contributed a story to Frontier Circus.

After Samuel A. Peeples left, D. C. Fontana returned to the typing pool. She then went to work as the secretary for Del Reisman, a producer on the drama The Lieutenant, which had been created by Gene Roddenberry. It was while she was working on The Lieutenant that she adopted "D. C. Fontana" to use professionally in order to avoid discrimination. She wrote episodes of Ben Casey and The Wild Wild West.

She also worked with Gene Roddenberry while Star Trek was in development. She wrote the episode "Charlie X" based on a story by Mr. Roddenberry. She also wrote the episodes "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and "This Side of Paradise." After the departure of Star Trek's first and second story editors (Steve Carabastos and John D. F. Black), D. C. Fontana became the show's story editor. She remained as the show's story editor until its third season. In all she wrote or co-wrote eleven episodes of Star Trek, continuing to contribute episodes even after she left as the show's story editor. Miss Fontana closed out the Sixties writing episodes of The Big Valley, Lancer, Then Came Bronson, The High Chaparral, Here Come the Brides, and Bonanza.

In the Seventies. D. C. Fontana served as the story editor on the science fiction series Logan's Run and contributed three episodes. She served as an associated producer on the animated version of Star Trek, contributing the episode "Yesteryear." She wrote episodes of the shows Assignment: Vienna, Ghost Story, The Six Million Dollar Man, Land of the Lost, The Streets of San Francisco, The Fantastic Journey, The Runaways, The Waltons, Dallas, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

In the Eighties Miss Fontana wrote several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also served as associate producer during the show's first season, but left due to clashes with Gene Roddenberry. She wrote episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and War of the Worlds.

In the Nineties D. C. Fontana wrote episodes of the shows The Legend of Prince Valiant, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, Hypernauts, Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys, Re-Boot, Earth: Final Conflict, Silver Surfer, and Beast Wars: Transformers. In the Naughts she wrote an episode of the fan created web series Star Trek: Phase II (later known as Star Trek: New Voyages). She served as a consulting producer on the show in the Teens.

D. C. Fontana also wrote several novels based on the original series of Star Trek, as well as the Western Brazos River, co-written with Harry Sanford.

The simple fact is that Star Trek as we know it would not exist without D. C. Fontana. She created much of what we associate with Vulcan culture, and was largely responsible for shaping Mr. Spock as the character we know. Of course, she also wrote episodes of many other shows and was even nominated for a WGA Award for the Then Came Bronson episode "Two Percent of Nothing." Miss Fontana was very versatile as a writer. While best known for her work in science fiction, she wrote episodes of everything from Westerns such as Bonanza to family dramas such as The Waltons to police dramas such as The Streets of San Francisco. It must also be pointed out that D. C. Fontana was also a pioneer with regards to women working in television. At the time that she started, there were very few female writers in the field. If D. C. Fontana is often counted as fans' favourite writer on the original series of Star Trek, it is with good reason.

Pets on Sets on TCM in December

Kim Novak and Pyewacket from
Bell, Book and Candle

On Wednesdays this December, Turner Classic Movies has a real treat for animal lovers. They have a group of movies highlighting Pets on Sets. That is, every Wednesday TCM is showing movies featuring animals. On December 4 they are showing films starting dogs, including Lassie Come Home (1943) and Adventures of Rusty (1945). On December 11 they are showing movies featuring cats and horses, including Bell, Book and Candle (1958), Harry and Tonto (1974), and The Black Stallion (1979). On December 18 they are showing movies featuring various animals, including The Yearling (1946) and Flipper (1963). Finally, Christmas night sees a return to movies with dogs, starting with The Thin Man (1934).

Not only will TCM be showing movies featuring animals on Wednesdays in December, but the movies will be co-hosted by such celebrity animals as the dog Cruiser (who has appeared on the TV show Stranger Things), the cat Ziva (who appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming), and the mini-horse Lark. Also on hand will be Carol and Ted Tresan, the owners and operators of Animal Casting Atlanta, which trains animal actors. 

I am sure many TCM fans who are also pet guardians will want to share this news with their pets. I shared it with my cat Malcolm Reynolds, although he commented that there are far too many movies with dogs and not enough with cats. He pointed out that they could also show Rhubarb (1951) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), both starring the most famous feline star of them all, Orangey. Of course, keep in mind Malcolm does not like dogs and is very proud to be a cat. At any rate, I think humans who love animals won't have any complaints about TCM's selections of movies for Pets on Sets!