The Late Great Mort Walker

Mort Walker and the statue of Beetle Bailey on the campus of
Mizzou in a a photo from the fall 2001 issue of Mizzou
Alumni Magazine.

Mort Walker, the creator of the comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois, died today at the age of 94. The cause was pneumonia. In all he worked on Beetle Bailey for 68 years, the longest stint of any American cartoonist.

Mort Walker was born on September 3 1923 in El Dorado, Kansas. The family lived in Texas and Oklahoma before finally settling in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother, Carolyn Walker, was an illustrator for The Kansas City Star.  As a child Mr. Walker would go with his parents to the newspaper where he became friends with many of the cartoonists there. He had decided to be a cartoonist when he was only three years old.

By the time Mort Walker was twelve he was already contributing cartoons to such publications as Child Life, Flying Aces, and Inside Detective. When he was 15 he had his own comic strip in The Kansas City Star. When he was 18 he became chief editorial designer for Hall Brothers (now known as Hallmark Cards). It was in 1942 that he was drafted into the United States Army. During the war he was in charge of a POW Camp of 10,000 Germans in Italy.

Following the war Mort Walker enrolled at the University of Missouri. There he was an editor and contributor of the student publication ShowMe, whose staff met at the local hangout and hamburger joint known as The Shack. He also worked on the university's yearbook, The Savitar. He graduated in 1948.

After graduation Mr.Walker moved to New York City to pursue a career as a cartoonist. It was in the late Forties that he began doing a single panel cartoon called Spider for The Saturday Evening Post. Spider centred on its title character, a lazy college student, and drew upon Mort Walker's experiences at Mizzou. Spider evolved into the syndicated newspaper strip Beetle Bailey, which made its debut on September 4 1950. Originally a campus humour comic strip, after six months it was doing so poorly that King Features Syndicate considered cancelling it. It was not long after the start of the Korean War that King Features Syndicate suggested that Beetle join the Army. It was then on March 13 1951 that Beetle Bailey enlisted in the U.S. Army. Nearly the entire cast of the comic strip changed except for Beetle himself (although the college days of Beetle Bailey had also included an intellectual named Plato).  The change in the strip's focus saved it, and it was soon one of the most popular comic strips of the time.

Mort Walker was not content simply working on Beetle Bailey. He also created the domestic comic strip Hi and Lois, which was illustrated by Dik Browne. It made its debut on October 18 1954. Hi and Lois would also prove to be a success and continues to this day. Mort Walker would also create or co-create several other comic strips, although none of them would see the success of Beetle Bailey or Hi and Lois. These comic strips included Mrs. Fitz's Flats (with Frank Roberge in 1957),  Sam's Strip (with Jerry Dumas in 1961), Boner's Ark (1968), Sam & Silo (a revival of Sam's Strip from 1977), and Gamin and Patches (from 1987).

In addition to the various collections of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois strips, Mort Walker also wrote the book The Lexicon of Comicana (1980). He wrote his autobiography, Mort Walker's Scrapbook: Celebrating a Life of Love and Laughter, as well. Between 2006 and 2010 he published the magazine The Best of Times, which was free throughout the state of Connecticut and also made available online. It featured editorial cartoons, comics, puzzles, and a variety of articles and columns.

It was in 1974 that Mort Walker founded the National Cartoon Museum. Initially located in Stamford, Connecticut, it later relocated to Greenwich, Connecticut, then Port Chester, New York, and then finally Boca Raton, Florida. It was dissolved in 2002.

There can be no doubt that Mort Walker was one of the most successful cartoonists of all time. Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois, and Sam and Silo remain in print to this day. What is more, Beetle Bailey proved to be something of a phenomenon. In 1963 King Features Syndicate produced a series of 50 six minute cartoons for television based on the comic strip. Beetle was voiced by the legendary Howard Morris and Sgt. Snorkel by Allan Melvin. Since 1953 several Beetle Bailey comic books have been published by such companies as Dell Comics, Gold Key Comics, King Comics, Charlton Comics, and Harvey Comics. In 1989 a TV special was produced for CBS. While it never aired, it has been released on DVD. That Mr. Walker would see success with yet other comic strips makes him all the more remarkable.

Of course, as a Mizzou alumnus Mort Walker was particularly beloved here. In 2000, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Beetle Bailey, he was honoured with an exhibition by the University of Missouri in the grand concourse of Ellis Library. Displayed were original strips, published reprints, and poster sized prints of selected strips. Earlier, on October 23 1992, a life-sized bronze statue of Beetle Bailey was erected at Mizzou. It is currently located near the entrance of the Reynolds Alumni Building. Those who met Mr. Walker always spoke of his good humour and his kindness. He was well known for making special drawings for people, particularly those who were seriously ill.

Even before I knew of Mort Walker's connection to mid-Missouri, Beetle Bailey was always one of my favourite comic strips as a child. It was genuinely funny and blatantly escapist. Indeed, much of the appeal of Beetle Bailey was in that Beetle could get away with so much. Often caught napping or otherwise slacking, in real life Beetle probably would been booted out of the Army on a dishonourable discharge. Instead, Beetle remains in the Army, doing as little as possible and apparently enjoying every minute of it. Of course, Beetle Bailey was not Mr. Walker's only creation. He also created Hi and Lois, which also held a great deal of appeal. Quite simply, it centres on a family who truly loves each other. While it was not successful, Sam's Strip was a pioneer when it came to metahumour. Quite simply, the characters knew they were in a comic strip. Mort Walker was a very talented cartoonist and a genuinely nice man. It is perhaps fortunate that we had him for as long as we did.

A Reminder for the 4th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon

This is just a reminder that the 4th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is around two months from now, from March 23 to March 25. .For those unfamiliar with the Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon, it is a blogathon in which bloggers write entries about their favourite episodes of their favourite classic television shows. If you want to participate, just leave me a comment on the original post announcing this year's blogathon!

Godspeed Dorothy Malone

Dorothy Malone, who played the Acme Book Shop owner in The Big Sleep (1946), Marylee Hadley in Written on the Wind (1956), and Constance Mackenzie on the TV show Peyton Place, died on January 19 2018 at the age of 93.

Dorothy Malone was born Dorothy Maloney on January 30 1924 in Chicago. The family moved to Dallas, Texas when she was only around three years old. She attended Southern Methodist University where, in 1942, she was seen in a school play by an RKO talent scout. She signed with RKO, who used her primarily in minor roles in such films as Gildersleeve on Broadway (1943), The Falcon and the Co-eds (1943), Higher and Higher (1943), Seven Days Ashore (1944), and Youth Runs Wild (1944). After leaving RKO she played a small part in the Boston Blackie film One Mysterious Night (1944).

Dorothy Malone then signed with Warner Bros., who changed her surname from "Maloney" to "Malone". Warner Bros. also utilised her much better than RKO had. She had a brief, if highly visible role as the owner of the Acme Book Shop in The Big Sleep. With Two Guys from Texas (1948) she played the female lead in a film for the first time. At Warner Bros. she also appeared in such films as Night and Day (1946), To the Victor (1948), One Sunday Afternoon (1948), South of St. Louis (1949), and Colorado Territory (1949). After Colorado Territory Miss Malone left Warner Bros. and went freelance. She finished the Forties appearing in such films as The Nevadan (1950), Convicted (1950), and The Killer That Stalked New York (1950).

In the Fifties Dorothy Malone appeared in the Martin and Lewis films Scared Stiff (1953) and Artists and Models (1955). In the early part of the decade she appeared in such movies as The Bushwhackers (1951), Torpedo Alley (1952), Jack Slade (1953), The Lone Gun (1954), Private Hell 36 (1954), The Fast and the Furious (1955), and Tension at Table Rock (1956). After years of playing wives and sweethearts, in the mid-Fifties Miss Malone dyed her hair blonde and sought to change her image. She was cast as the alcoholic and nymphomaniac Marylee Hadley in Written in the Wind for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She finished out the decade appearing in such films as Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), The Tarnished Angels (1957),  Warlock (1959), and The Last Voyage (1960). Miss Malone made her television debut in an episode of The Philco Television Playhouse in 1951. In the Fifties she guest starred on such shows as Kraft Television Theatre, Omnibus, Four Star Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, The Loretta Young Show, Cimarron City, and Alcoa Theatre.

In the Sixties Dorothy Malone played book store owner Constance Mackenzie on the night time soap opera Peyton Place. She guest starred on such shows as Route 66, Death Valley Days, The Dick Powell Show, Dr. Kildare, and The Untouchables. She appeared in the films The Last Sunset (1961), Beach Party (1963), and Fate is the Hunter (1964).

In the Seventies Miss Malone guest starred on such TV shows as The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Ellery Queen, Police Woman, The Streets of San Francisco, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Flying High, Vega$, Condominium, and The Littlest Hobo. She appeared in the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man and the television reunion movie Murder in Peyton Place. She appeared in the films The Man Who Would Not Die (1975), Abduction (1975), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979), Winter Kills (1979), and The Day Time Ended (1979).

In the Eighties Dorothy Malone guest starred on the TV show Matt Houston and appeared in the television reunion movie Peyton Place: The Next Generation. She appeared in the films The Being (1983) and Descanse en piezas (1987). She made her last appearance on screen in Basic Instinct in 1992.

Dorothy Malone was, quite simply, an incredible actress. She played what was easily the sexiest character in The Big Sleep, no small achievement given Lauren Bacall and Martha Vickers were also in the film. What made the Acme Book Shop owner so sexy wasn't the way she looked (although Dorothy Malone was certainly beautiful), but the way she spoke, the way she moved, and the way she behaved. Quite simply, Dorothy Malone endowed the character with a good deal of sex appeal in only a brief time on screen. Of course, this was nothing unusual for Dorothy Malone. She had a talent for fully realising characters, even if she was only given a few minutes on screen. In the two-part Route 66 episode "Fly Away Home" she played a nightclub singer who was still in love with her ex-husband. In Artists and Models she played level-headed comic book artist Abigail Parker. In Tip on a Dead Jockey she played a woman whose husband becomes involved in some very shady business. Miss Malone also played historical characters during her career, including Lon Chaney's wife Cleva Creighton Chaney in Man of a Thousand Faces and actress Diana Barrymore in Too Much Too Soon. Dorothy Malone was exceeding talented, and could play a wide array of roles, from the wives and sweethearts of her early years to the more complex characters of her later years.

Godspeed Bradford Dillman

Actor Bradford Dillman died on January 16 2018 at the age of 87. The cause was complications from pneumonia.

Bradford Dillman was born on April 14 1930 in San Francisco. He began acting while still young, spending his summers in Santa Barbara, California performing in local theatre productions. He attended the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and later received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University. Afterwards he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He received an honourable discharge in 1953 with the rank of first lieutenant. He then studied at the Actors Studio.

Bradford Dillman made his television debut in 1953 in an episode of Kraft Television Theatre. In the Fifties he guest starred on the shows Omnibus, Climax!, and Matinee Theatre. He made his film debut in A Certain Smile in 1958. In the late Fifties he appeared in the films In Love and War (1958), Compulsion (1959), Crack in the Mirror (1960), and A Circle of Deception (1960).  He appeared on Broadway in the original production of Long Day's Journey Into Night from 1956 to 1958.

In the Sixties Bradford Dillman had a recurring role on the TV show Dr. Kildare and was one of the stars of the show Court Martial. He guest starred on such shows as The Eleventh Hour, Naked City, Alcoa Premiere, Wagon Train, The Nurses, Ben Casey, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Hawk, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, The Name of the Game, Marcus Welby M.D., and Ironside. He appeared in the films Sanctuary (1961), Francies of Assisi (1961), A Rage to Live (1965), The Plainsman (1966), Jigsaw (1968), The Bridge at Remagen (1969), and Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970).  He appeared on Broadway in The Fun Couple.

In the Seventies Mr. Dillman guest starred on such shows as The Men from Shiloh, Longstreet, The F.B.I., Bonanza, Night Gallery, Mission: Impossible, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Sixth Sense, The Mod Squad, Columbo, McCloud, Medical Centre, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Wonder Woman, Barnaby Jones, The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, and Charlie's Angels. He appeared in such films as Brother John (1971), The Mephisto Waltz (1971), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), The Way We Were (1973), The Iceman Cometh (1973), Bug (1975), The Enforcer (1976), The Swarm (1978), Piranha (1978), and Running Scared (1980).

In the Eighties Bradford Dillman was a regular on the TV show King's Crossing and had a recurring role on Falcon Crest. He guest starred on the shows Matt Houston, The Love Boat, Hot Pursuit, Dynasty, Hotel, and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in the films Sudden Impact (1983), Treasure of the Amazon (1985), Man Outside (1987), Lords of the Deep (1989), and Heroes Stand Alone (1989). In the Nineties he guest starred on the shows Christine Cromwell and Murder, She Wrote.

Bradford Dillman was an extremely talented actor who could play a variety of roles. He could be a shady character who may be an outlaw instead of the sheriff he claims to be (as on The Men from Shiloh), a religious figure (something he played a few times, on everything from Dr. Kildare to The Nurses), or a military officer (a role he played on the show Court Martial and in various other shows and movies). Over the years he played a wide variety of roles, everything from heroes to villains. He could be a cold blooded murderer (as in Compulsion) or a sympathetic scientist (as in Escape from the Planet of the Apes). If Bradford Dillman was very much in demand on TV shows and in films, it was perhaps because he had the talent to play nearly any role offered him.

The Late Great Peter Wyngarde

Peter Wyngarde, the actor best known for playing Jason King in the TV show Department S and its spinoff Jason King, as well as making notable guest appearances on shows from The Avengers to The Prisoner, died on January 15 2018. He was reportedly 90.

Peter Wyngarde's early life is a bit of a mystery. While August 23 is generally agreed upon as his birthday, the year in which he was born, where he was born, and even his given name tend to vary depending upon  the account. Peter Wyngarde long maintained he was born Peter Paul Wyngarde in Marseilles, France to a French mother and a father who worked in the British Diplomatic Service with the surname of Wyngarde. Peter Wyngarde also gave his place of birth as Singapore. According to another account Peter Wyngarde was born Cyril Louis Goldbert in Singapore. His father may have been Henry Goldbert. Author J. G. Ballard claimed to have known Peter Wyngarde as Cyril Goldbert in Shanghai and the two of them were imprisoned in the Japanese internment camp Lunghua. Mr. Wyngarde gave 1933 as his year of birth, but J. G. Ballard said that Mr. Wyngarde was four years older than he was, which would place his birth year closer to 1926 or 1927. In an interview published in The Observer in 1993, Peter Wyngarde claimed that he did not know his real age.

Regardless, Peter Wyngarde made his acting debut on stage at the Buxton Playhouse in 1946. His first role of note would be in Noël Coward's Present Laughter at the Theatre Royal in Birmingham in 1947. He made his film debut in 1949 in an uncredited part as a soldier in Dick Barton Strikes Back. He made his television debut in 1952 in an adaptation of The Dybbuk. On television he appeared in such TV productions as Leibelei and The Gambler. He played Sidney Carton in the mini-series A Tale of Two Cities and Long John Silver in the series The Adventures of Ben Gunn. He appeared as John the Baptist in the mini-series Jesus of Nazareth. He guest starred on such shows as Stage by Stage, Terminus, Nom-de-Plume, Assignment Foreign Legion, Sword of Freedom, ITV Television Playhouse, BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, and On Trial. He appeared in the films Alexander the Great (1956) and The Siege of Sidney Street (1960).

In the Sixties Peter Wyngarde starred as Rupert of Hentzau in the TV mini-series Rupert of Hentzau. Towards the end of the decade he starred in what may be his most famous role, Jason King, in the TV series Department S. He made two guest appearances on The Avengers, the most notable being that of the Honourable John Cleverly Cartney in the notorious episode "A Touch of Brimstone". He also guest starred on such shows as One Step Beyond, BBC Sunday-Night Play, Armchair Theatre, R3, Sherlock Holmes, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour, ITV Play of the Week, The Saint, I Spy, The Troubleshooters, The Prisoner, and The Champions. He appeared in the films The Innocents (1961) and Night of the Eagle (1962).

Peter Wyngarde began the Seventies playing Jason King in the TV series Jason King. He appeared in the films Himmel, Scheich und Wolkenbruch (1979) and Flash Gordon (1980).  A 1975 arrest for gross indecency in a bus station loo seriously damaged his career, and he saw little work for much of the decade.

In the Eighties he guest starred on Doctor Who, Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, The Two Ronnies, Bulman, and The Comic Strip Presents... He appeared in the film Tank Malling (1989).

In the Nineties Peter Wyngarde guest starred on The Lenny Henry Show and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. 

Quite simply, Peter Wyngarde was an incredible actor. If the character of Jason King developed a cult following in late Sixties and early Seventies Britain, it was largely because of Mr. Wyngarde's performance in the role. Jason King was a womanising author who loved the high life, but still found time to have several adventures. While Peter Wyngarde's best known character was decidedly a hero, he had a gift for playing villains. No better proof of this can be found than The Avengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone", in which he played the aristocratic John Cleverly Cartney, the head of a modern revival of the infamous Hellfire Club. He also did an interesting turn as No. 2 in The Prisoner episode "Checkmate". Such was Peter Wyngarde's talent that he could play a wide array of characters, from Sydney Carton to Long John Silver to Ming the Merciless's aide Klytus in the movie Flash Gordon. Few actors had quite the talent of which Peter Wyngarde could boast.

Godspeed Hugh Wilson

Hugh Wilson, the creator of the classic television shows WKRP in Cincinnati and Frank's Place, died on January 14 2018 a the age of 74.

Hugh Wilson was born in Miami, Florida on August 21 1943. He attended the University of Florida and graduated in 1965 with a degree in journalism. For a time he worked at Armstrong World Industries' in-house advertising department, where he met Jay Tarses and Tom Patchet, who went onto write for The Bob Newhart Show. Mr. Wilson was later a radio sales executive in Atlanta. In 1966 he went to work at the Burton-Campbell Agency as a copywriter. He became the advertising agency's creative director in 1970 and then its president in 1973.

In 1972 Hugh Wilson wrote and directed the film The Bagel Report. In 1976 he wrote his first of five episodes of The Bob Newhart Show. He went onto produce the short-lived sitcom The Tony Randall Show. He also wrote several episodes of the show. It was while he was working on The Tony Randall Show that he approached Grant Tinker of MTM with his idea for a sitcom based around his experiences as a sales executive at a radio station. WKRP in Cincinnati debuted on 1978 on CBS. Hugh Wilson produced the entire run of the show and wrote many of its episodes, including such classic episodes as "Jennifer and the Man" and "Venus and the Man". Because CBS insisted on moving WKRP in Cincinnati  around their schedule (it was moved 14 times), the show rarely had good ratings. That having been said, WKRP in Cincinnati had a cult following and it would prove to be an incredible success as a syndicated rerun. In fact, it was MTM's most successful show in syndication,beating out such classics as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show.

In the Eighties Hugh Wilson directed and co-wrote the movie Police Academy (1984). He also wrote and directed the movies Rustler's Rhapsody (1985) and Burglar (1987). He created the short-lived show Easy Street, and he created and produced the cult classic TV series Frank's Place. He wrote several episodes of Frank's Place. He created the short-lived series The Famous Teddy Z.

In the Nineties Hugh Wilson wrote and directed the movies Guarding Tess (1994), Blast from the Past (1999), and Dudley Do-Right (1999). He wrote the film Down Periscope (1996) and directed the film The First Wives Club (1996). He wrote two episodes of the mini-series The Rough Riders. In the Naughts he directed the film Mickey (2004).

As a writer Hugh Wilson was an incredible talent. He did not simply create WKRP in Cincinnati, but he also wrote several of the show's best episodes. If the show received great reviews when it was on the air and has maintained a large following to this day, it was largely because of Hugh Wilson's writing. Of course, WKRP in Cincinnati was not his only achievement. While Frank's Place is not as well remembered, it also received good notices and was nominated for several Emmy Awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.  Hugh Wilson had a capacity for creating characters who were at the same time believable and very funny. Such characters as Johnny Fever and Les Nessman might be somewhat exaggerated, but they are also people one could actually believe existed somewhere. Even if WKRP in Cincinnati was the only thing Hugh Wilson had done, he would be remembered. As it is, he did much more.

Dolores O'Riordan Passes On

Dolores O'Riordan, best known as the lead vocalist for Irish band The Cranberries, died unexpectedly on January 15 2018. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

Dolores O'Riordan was born on September 6 1971 in Ballybricken, County Limerick.  Reportedly she was singing before she could even talk. By the time she was a teenager Miss O'Riordan was already writing songs, inspired by such bands as Duran Duran and The Smiths. While her talent developed at an early age, she was also a terribly shy person. Performing on stage frightened her.

Regardless, it was in 1989 that Dolores O'Riordan responded to an advertisement looking for a lead singer placed by local Limerick band The Cranberry Saw Us. Miss O'Riordan then became the lead vocalist of the band, which was soon renamed The Cranberries. One of their early demo tapes, featuring the songs "Linger" and "Dreams" came to the attention of the recording industry. They eventually signed with Island Records.

Their first single, "Dreams", was released on September 29 1992. Their first album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, was released on March 1 1993. Initially neither the single nor the album did particularly well on the charts, nor did their second single "Linger". The Cranberries went on tour supporting Suede, which brought them to the attention of MTV. The channel then put the videos for "Dreams" and "Linger" in heavy rotation. This ultimately propelled Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? to the top of the Irish and British album charts. It would peak at a very respectable no. 18 on the Billboard album chart.

The Cranberries' next few albums  (No Need to Argue, To the Faithful Departed, and Bury the Hatchet) all did very well, topping the British chart and performing respectably in North America and Europe. In 1994 they had an international success with the single "Zombie". Sadly, their fifth album, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, would not do nearly as well as their previous efforts. It only peaked at no. 61 on the British album chart and no. 46 on the Billboard album chart. It did perform well in both Ireland and Europe.

It was in September 2003 that The Cranberries decided to go on hiatus. During the hiatus Dolores O'Riordan was featured as a guest vocalist on Italian artist Zucchero's album Zu & Co. on the song "Pure Love" and on German duo Jam & Spoon's album Tripomatic Fairytales 3003 on the song "Mirror Lover". Her first solo album, Are You Listening?, was released in May 2007. It was followed by a second solo album, No Baggage, in 2009.

It was in 2009 that The Cranberries reunited. Their sixth album, Roses, was released in February 2012. It was in 2014 that Dolores O'Riordan began working with Andy Rourke of The Smiths and Olé Koretsky as part of Jetlag, eventually renamed D.A.R.K. D.A.R.K. released a single album, Science Agrees, in September 2016. In April 2017 The Cranberries released the album Something Else.

Dolores O'Riordan was both a remarkable songwriter and a remarkable vocalist. She was blessed with a rather singular mezzo-soprano voice, and her Limerick accent could be heard in nearly every one of her songs. Her haunting voice fit her songs well, which were blatantly emotional during a decade, the Nineties, which was supposed to be all about being cool and aloof. Even on topical songs, such as "Zombie" and "Free to Decide", Miss O'Riordan's songs were about feelings. Dolores O'Riordan might have been cool, but she was never aloof. As both a singer and a songwriter, that was her strength.