Godspeed Mitchell Ryan

Mitchell Ryan, who played Burke Devlin on Dark Shadows and played the villain in the movie Lethal Weapon (1987), died on March 4 at the age of 88. The cause was congestive heart failure.

Mitchell Ryan was born on January 11 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. During the Korean War he served in the United Sates Navy as part of a special services entertainment unit. He became interested in acting after seeing Warren Oates in a production of Dark of the Moon in Louisville in 1953.

He moved to New York City where he appeared on stage. He made his movie debut in Thunder Road in 1958. He made his television debut in a guest appearance on the TV show Brenner in 1959. The following year he appeared in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre. In the Sixties Mitchell Ryan was cast as Burke Devlin on Dark Shadows. He appeared in the show's very first episode in 1966 and continued in the role until the show's 248th episode in 1967. He guest starred on the shows Play of the Week, Way Out, General Hospital, Naked City, The Defenders, Coronet Blue, N.Y. P.D., and The High Chaparral. He appeared in the movie Monte Walsh. He appeared on Broadway in Wait Until Dark and The Sudden & Accidental Re-Education of Horse Johnson.

In the Seventies he played the character of the title on the short-lived TV show Chase, Dan Walling on the nighttime soap Executive Suite, Dr. Blake Simmons on the medical drama Having Babies, and Cooper Hawkins on The Chisholms. He guest starred on the shows O'Hara United States Treasury, The Streets of San Francisco, The Manhunter, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Rockford Files, Baretta, The Blue Knight, Most Wanted, and Family. He appeared in the movies My Old Man's Place (1971), The Hunting Party (1971), The Honkers (1972), The Reflection of Fear (1972), High Plains Drifter (1973), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), Magnum Fore (1973), Midway (1976), and Two-Minute Warning (1976). He appeared on Broadway in The Price.

In the Eighties Mitchell Ryan was a regular on the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara. He appeared in the mini-series North and South. Her guest starred on the TV shows King's Crossing, High Performance, Hart to Hart, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hotel, Dallas, Hot Pursuit, Riptide, The A-Team, All My Children, St. Elsewhere, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mission: Impossible, Hardball, Jake and the Fatman, Who's the Boss, and L.A. Law. He appeared in several TV movies throughout the decade. He appeared in the feature films Lethal Weapon (1987) and Winter People (1989). He appeared on Braodway in Medea.

In the Nineties Mr. Ryan played Greg's father on the TV sitcom Dharma & Greg. He was a regular on the show 2000 Malibu Road. He guest starred on the shows He guest starred on the show The Golden Girls; Hunter; Matlock; Civil Wars; Mann & Machine; The Young Riders; Reasonable Doubts; NYPD Blue; Walker, Texas Ranger; Renegade; One West Waikiki; The Single Guy; Murder, She Wrote; Silk Stalkings; Champs; Wings; Dark Skies; Spy Game; and The Practice. He appeared in the movies Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992), The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1992), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Blue Sky (1994), Speechless (1994), Judge Dredd (1995), Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Ed (1996), The Devil's Own (1997), Liar Liar (1997), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and Making Contact (1999).

In the Naughts he continued to appear on Dharma & Greg. He guest starred on The West Wing and The Drew Carey Show. He was a guest voice on the animated series Justice League. He appeared in the movie Love for Rent (2005). Last year he appeared on the streaming series Smartphone Theatre.

Mitchell Ryan was a remarkable actor. He could be suitably menacing as Burke Devlin on Dark Shadows, but then be hilarious as the boozy, eccentric Edward Montgomery on Dharma & Greg. He could be a base villain as General McAllister in Lethal Weapon, but he could play a hero like Captain Chase Reddick on the TV show Chase. He was as adept as comedy as he was drama. Over the years he played everything from medical doctors to servicemen to priests, and he played all of them well.

My Birthday

Today is my birthday and I must say it is a bittersweet one. On the one hand I have enjoyed today for the most part. On the other hand, my birthday has been coloured by three deaths in my life this week. The first I have already written about on this blog. Paddy Lee was loved by the classic film and classic TV blogger community and I know I can speak for all of us when I saw we will miss her. The second was an old pal from the late, lamented social network Google+. Chris Kim was an expatriate Missourian, so he could relate to many of my references to the state. He also had a great, if twisted, sense of humour, much as I do. Politically we agreed on just about everything (like me, he was a progressive). Chris was extremely proud of his nieces and he had reason to be. They are all accomplished, young women. The third person to die was my cousin Bernita. Bernita was my Aunt Annie's daughter. I really didn't know Bernita very well, as she moved to Wichita when I was really young (maybe before I was born). Still, she was kin and it is sad to know she is gone.

Of course, as usual I am thinking of my dearest friend Vanessa Marquez on this day. She always wished me, "Happy birthday," and always figured out a special way to do it. I still miss her so terribly it hurts. I watched her movie Twenty Bucks (1993) today as a means of spending the day with her. Tonight I will watch Stand and Deliver (1988), which celebrates its 34th anniversary tomorrow. It was released the day after my 25th birthday.

I hope I don't sound too downbeat here, as I don't feel that way. As I said earlier, I have enjoyed most of today. I have received several birthday greetings online and offline. My friends and siblings have made sure that today has been special for me. Particularly when one has experienced loss it is easy to forget about the good things in life, and there are many good things. It might seem odd, but its on my birthday as well as at Christmastime that I often think about the movie It's Wonderful Life (1946). To me the ultimate message of that film is Clarence's note to George in the copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer he gave him: "Remember, George, no man is a failure who has friends." I think that is something important for all of us to remember.

The Late Great Paddy Lee, Caftan Woman

It was this afternoon on Twitter that I received the sad news that my friend Paddy Lee had died today. I am not sure how long we had known each other, but she was a long time blogger like myself. She ran the blog Caftan Woman. If the blog sounds familiar, it is because she participated in just about every blogathon I held and often commented on this blog. In addition to being a prolific blogger, she also read many blogs. It was not unusual for Paddy to comment on a post when no one else had. She also participated in many blogathons over the years.

In addition to blogging, Paddy was also active on Twitter. She often tweeted about classic film and classic television and interacted with several fellow classic film and classic television fans. Paddy was a huge fan of Westerns going all the way back to the Silent Era. As might be expected, she was a fan of the television Westerns of the Fifties as well. In fact, I think she may well have been the biggest fan of Maverick I ever knew. She wrote several posts on the show. In fact, her final post, from a few days ago, was on the Maverick episode "The Savage Hills." Paddy's tastes were diverse. She was as comfortable with an old Hollywood musical like 42nd Street (1933) as she was an episode of Perry Mason. Her tastes were similar to mine, so I knew a movie was good if Paddy liked it.

Paddy suffered from kidney disease for many years and last year she even had a kidney transplant. She had been off Twitter since February due to issues with her health. For all the problems with her health Paddy had, she always maintained a sunny disposition. She was always eager to compliment her friends and always the first to say a kind word when one needed it. She was one of the most supportive people I have ever known. To put it in simply, Paddy was a real pal.

This evening I know that many in the classic film and the classic TV community are mourning Paddy's passing. She enriched all of our lives with her positivity and her enthusiasm for classic movies and classic TV shows. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we will miss her terribly. My deepest condolences go out to her family and many friends.

Tim Considine Passes On

Tim Considine, who played eldest son Mike on My Three Sons for its first five seasons and starred in Mickey Mouse Club serials featuring Spin and Marty and The Hardy Boys, died on March 3 2022 at the age of 81.

Tim Considine was born on December 31 1940 in Los Angeles, California His father, John W. Considine Jr., was a producer for MGM. His grandfather, John Considine, was a vaudeville impresario. It was then perhaps natural for Tim Considine to go into entertainment. 

Tim Considine made his movie debut in 1953 in The Clown, playing the son of the title character played by Red Skelton. That same year he made his television debut in an episode of the show I'm the Law. He made guest appearances on the shows The Ford Television Theatre, Your Jeweler's Showcase, Chevron Theatre, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Great Gildersleeve, and Treasury Men in Action. In 1955 he was cast as Spin on the Mickey Mouse Club serial "The Adventures of Spin and Marty." Tim Considine would appear in subsequent Mickey Mouse Club serials, playing Spin in two more "Spin and Marty" serials, Frank Hardy in two "Hardy Boys" serials, and Steven Abernathy in the serial "Annette." Tim Considine would do further work for Walt Disney, appearing in the Disneyland serial "The Swamp Fox" and the feature film The Shaggy Dog (1960). It was in 1960 that Tim Considine was cast as Mike Douglas in the sitcom My Three Sons. In the mid to late Fifties he also appeared in the movies Executive Suite (1954), Her Twelve Men (1954), Unchained (1955), The Private War of Major Benson (1955), and Sunrise at Campobello (1960). He guest starred on the shows Zane Grey Theatre, Cheyenne, and Johnny Ringo.

In the Sixties Tim Considine continued to appear on My Three Sons until its fifth season. While he enjoyed working on the show and loved his cast mates, he had tired of the series by that point. His character, the eldest son Mike, was written out of the show as having married his fiancée Sally Ann Morrison (Meredith MacRae).  He guest starred on the shows The Untouchables, Bonanza, The Fugitive, Medical Center, Ironside, and Gunsmoke. He appeared in the movie Patton (1970), playing a soldier suffering from post traumatic stress disorder who is slapped by General Patton.

In 1971 Tim Considine guest starred on an episode of The Smith Family. In 1973 he appeared in the movie The Daring Dobermans. Thereafter he left acting and took up writing and photography. He wrote the books The Photographic Dictionary of Soccer, The Language of Sport, American Grand Prix Racing: A Century of Drivers & Cars, and Twice Around the Clock: The Yanks at Le Mans. He returned to television in a guest appearance on the short-lived television series Legend. In 2000 he appeared in the Wonderful World of Disney TV movie The New Adventures of Spin and Marty: Suspect Behavior. He appeared in the movies Monster Makers and Frankenfish. His final feature film appearance was in the movie Ray of Sunshine (2007).

Tim Considine will probably always be best known for his work with Disney and his stint on My Three Sons, but he displayed considerable range during his career. In the episode "The Spoiler" of The Untouchables, he played Arnie Mizo, who helps his uncle Johnny Mizo (Rip Torn) recover money Johnny had stolen from mobster Vince Majesky (Claude Akins). In the Bonanza episode "The Reluctant Rebel" he played the son of a hog farmer (Royal Dano) who is embarrassed by his father's occupation and finds himself in a gang of rustlers. In the Fugitive episode "Second Sight" freelance photographer who learns a temporarily blinded Richard Kimble is on the run and is tempted by the $10,000 reward for his capture. Tim Considine was an extremely talented actor who played a variety of roles throughout his career.

The 100th Anniversary of Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens

It as 100 years ago today that Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) was released in Germany. Along with The Phantom of the Opera (1925), it may well be the most famous silent horror movie of all time. It is also one of the most famous adaptations of Bram Stoker's Dracula, despite being wholly unauthorized. Despite a successful copyright infringement lawsuit by Bram Stoker's widow Florence Stoker, Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens would prove to be one of the most influential, if not the most influential, vampire movie of all time.Indeed, it was Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens that introduced the idea that vampires can be destroyed by sunlight (it isn't found in folkore).

I have already written several posts mentioning Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens, so I won't repeat myself here. I will simply direct people to my 2015 post Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922). You can read it here.

Godspeed Gary Brooker

Gary Brooker, the leader of the band Procol Harum died on February 19 at the age of  76. The cause was cancer. He was the only member of Procol Harum to remain with the band for the entirety of its history.

Gary Brooker was born on May 29 1945 in Hackney, East London. He spent his early years in Hackney before his family moved to Middlesex. His father played steel guitar with  Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Serenaders. Gary Brooker was still very young when he learned to play piano, cornet, and trombone. In 1945 his family moved to Southend-on-Sea, Essex. He attended Southend Municipal College, where he studied zoology and botany, but he left the college to become a professional musician.

In the early Sixties Gary Brooker and guitarist Robin Trower founded The Paramounts. The Paramounts had a single hit with a cover of The Coasters' "Poison Ivy." The Paramounts disbanded in 1966. That same year Gary Brooker formed Procol. Harum with Keith Reid. It was their manager, Guy Stevens, who came up with the band's name, taking it from the name of a Burmese cat owned by one of their friends, Liz Coombes. Their debut single, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," proved to be one of the most successful records of all time. The song hit no. 1 on the UK singles chart and no. 1 in several other countries as well. It reached no. 5 on the Billboard  Hot 100. Their first album, Procol Harum, reached no. 26.

Procol Harum never again repeated the success of "A Whiter Shade of Pale," but they would see a good deal of success over the years. Into the early Seventies Procol Harum's albums regularly reached the top fifty of the UK album chart. The band also did well with regards to their singles. Their second single,"Homburg," reached no. 6 on the UK singles chart. Their 1972 single "Conquistador" reached no. 22 on the UK singles chart. In 1975 "Pandora's Box" reached no. 16. From 1967 to 2017 Procol Harum disbanded in 1977. They reformed in 1991. In all , between 1967 and 2017, they  released 20 studio albums.

While Procol Harum was disbanded, Gary Brooker released three solo albums: No More Fear of Flying (1979), Lead Me to the Water (1982), and Echoes in the Night (1985). Here leased one live album, Within Our House, in 1996. Over the years he contributed to the albums of others, from George Harrison's All Things must Pass to The Alan Parsons Project's Stereotomy to Kate Bush's Aerial.

Gary Brooker was nothing if not versatile. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has been classed as "baroque pop." Yet other songs have been counted as progressive rock or psychedelia. Yet other songs show influence from British music halls, the blues, and classical music. It was because of Gary Brooker's diverse styles that it was difficult to pigeonhole Mr. Brooker or Procol Harum in any one genre. Although they were often classed as progressive rock, they played everything from psychedelia to jazz rock. A pianist rivalled by none and a composer capable of a diverse number of styles Gary Brooker was extremly talented.

The Late Great Veronica Carlson

Among the many actresses to appear in the Hammer Horrors, Veronica Carlson numbered among fans' favourites. She was a frequent guest at conventions, where she became known for her friendliness and her respect for her fans. I never had the opportunity to meet Miss Carlson, but I know people who did. What is more, Veronica Carlson and I had mutual friends. All of them adored her. Sadly, Veronica Carlson died on February 27 2022 at the age of 77.

Veronica Carlson was born Veronica Mary Glazer on September 18 1944 in Yorkshire. Her father was stationed in West Germany, so she spent much of her childhood there. She attended Thetford Girls' School and the High Wycombe College of Technology and Design, where she studied art.

Veronica Carlson worked as a model which led to bit parts in Casino Royale  (1967) and Smashing Time (1967). James Carreras of Hammer Production noticed a photo of Miss Carlson emerging out of the waves in a bikini that had appeared in a tabloid. She went in for an audition was was cast in the film Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968). In the late Sixties she also appeared in the movies Hammerhead (1968), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), The Best House in London (1969), Crossplot (1969), Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You (1970), and The Horror of Frankenstein (1970). She made her television debut in an episode of ITV Playhouse. She guest starred on The Saint, Department S, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

In the Seventies Veronica Carlson was a regular on the British TV series Spyder's Web. She also guest starred on Hine and Public Eye. She appeared in the films Vampira (1974) and The Ghoul (1975). In the mid-Seventies she went into semi-retirement. She moved to the Unites States and later settled in South Carolina. Miss Carlson was an accomplished and successful painter.

Veronica Carlson would return to film, appearing the movies Black Easter (1994), Freakshow (1995), Stellar Quasar and the Scrolls of Dadelia (2016), and House of the Gorgon (2019). She was set to appear in the movie The Refractory.

Veronica Carlson was a very good actress. In Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, she played the niece of a priest who very nearly comes under Dracula's control. In Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed she played the landlady Anna, who has the misfortune of having Dr. Frankenstein as a tenant. While The Horror of Frankenstein is a lesser effort from Hammer, she did well as Elizabeth in the film. In The Saint episode "The Man Who Gambled with Life," she was impressive as the daughter of an eccentric entrepreneur.

As mentioned earlier, Veronica Carlson was a favourite at conventions. Also as I mentioned earlier, we had mutual friends. They were all unanimous in their adoration of Miss Carlson. She was beautiful and elegant even as she grew older, yet she was so unassuming that one would not realize she was a well known actress if they did not know better. Miss Carlson also had a wonderful sense of humour. She was known for her kindness and thoughtfulness, and when someone talked to her, they had her total attention. Veronica Carlson was certainly known for her beauty, from those who met her and her close friends, she was a woman who had a beautiful soul as well.