Saturday, December 7, 2019
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.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Godspeed Joan Staley
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.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
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.
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.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Pets on Sets on TCM in December
 |
| Kim Novak and Pyewacket from Bell, Book and Candle |
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!
Friday, November 29, 2019
Christmas Movies on TCM in December
December 1:
11:00 AM Lady in the Lake (1947)
3:15 PM Holiday Affair (1949)
5:00 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
7:00 PM A Christmas Carol (1951)
9:00 PM The Bishop's Wife (1947)
December 8:
11:00 AM A Christmas Carol (1938)
12:30 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
2:45 PM O. Henry's Full House (1952)
5:00 PM 3 Godfathers (1949)
7:00 PM It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
9:15 PM The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
December 11:
7:00 PM Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
December 15:
11:00 AM Lady on a Train (1945)
12:45 PM It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
3:00 PM Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
5:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
7:00 PM Holiday Affair (1949)
9:00 Remember the Night (1940)
December 22:
11:00 AM A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! (2011)
12:15 PM King of Kings (1961)
3:15 PM The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
December 23:
7:00 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
9:00 PM In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
December 24:
2:30 AM Three Godfathers (1936)
4:00 AM 3 Godfathers (1949)
6:00 AM Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
7:30 AM Fitzwilly (1967)
9:15 AM Period of Adjustment (1962)
11:15 AM In the Good Old Time Summertime (1949)
1:00 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
3:00 PM It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
5:15 PM Holiday Affair (1949)
7:00 PM The Bishop's Wife (1947)
11:00 PM A Christmas Carol (1938)
December 25:
12:30 AM Meet John Doe (1941)
4:30 AM The Great Rupert (1950)
6:00 AM Babes in Toyland (1934)
7:30 AM Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
11:00 AM O. Henry's Full House (1952)
1:15 PM Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
3:00 PM The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
5:00 PM Susan Slept Here (1954)
7:00 PM The Thin Man (1934)
December 31:
8:15 AM The Thin Man (1934)
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving 2019
Before anything else I want to say how thankful I am for you, my readers. Keeping this blog up the past year has not been particularly easy for me at times, and I am glad you have remained with me. I also want to thank my many friends, without whom I don't know that I would have survived this year either. Finally, I want to wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving! Now, without further ado, here is ther reason I am sure many of you arrived on this page: vintage pinups!
First up is Suzy Crandall, who is carving her turkey.
Next up is Rita Hayworth, who is stalking turkeys!
A turkey is trying to convince Shirley Temple to have ham for Thanksgiving dinner!
Arlene Dahl has her turkey ready!
Angela Greene looks too guilty to shoot the poor turkey.
And it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Ann Miller!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 22, 2019
The Late Great Michael J. Pollard
Michael J. Pollard was born on May 30 1939 in Passaic, New Jersey. He attend Montclair Academy in New Jersey. He decided to become an actor after seeing Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954). He studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York City.
Mr. Pollard made his television debut in an episode of Omnibus in 1958. In the late Fifties he guest starred on such shows as The DuPont Show of the Month, Lux Playhouse, Five Fingers, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Startime, Sunday Showcase, World Wide '60, and Look Up and Live. When Bob Denver, who played Maynard G. Krebs on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, received his draft notice, Michael J. Pollard was cast as his cousin Jerome Krebs. He would only replace Bob Denver for two episodes, as Mr. Denver was determined to be physically unfit for service. Mr. Pollard made his debut on Broadway in Comes a Day in 1958. In the late Fifties he also appeared on Broadway in A Loss of Roses. On Broadway he was part of the original cast of Bye Bye Birdie, playing the role of Hugo Peabody. Michael J. Pollard made his film debut in It Happened to Jane in 1959.
In the Sixties Michael J. Pollard made notable guest appearances on both The Andy Griffith Show and Star Trek. On The Andy Griffith Show he played Barney Fife's accident prone cousin Virgil in the episode "Cousin Virgil." On Star Trek he played Jahn, the self-appointed leader of a cult of children in the episode "Miri." He also guest starred on the shows Window on Main Street, Going My Way, The Nurses, Route 66, The Lucy Show, Channing, Gunsmoke, The Baileys of Balboa, Mr. Novak, Honey West, Branded, Lost in Space, The Virginian, I Spy, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Danny Thomas Hour, and Cimarron Strip. He played Bonnie and Clyde's dimwitted accomplice C. W. Moss in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role He also appeared in the films Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962), The Stripper (1963), Summer Magic (1963), The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966), The Wild Angels (1966), Enter Laughing (1967), Caprice (1967), Jigsaw (1968), Hannibal Brooks (1969), and Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970). He appeared on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie, Enter Laughing, and Leda Had a Little Swan.
In the Seventies Mr. Pollard guest starred on Movin' On and Get Christie Love!. He appeared in the films Les pétroleuses (1971), Morbo (1972), Dirty Little Billy (1972), Sunday in the Country (1974), I quattro dell'Apocalisse (1975), Between the Lines (1977), and Melvin and Howard (1980).
In the Eighties Michael J. Pollard was a regular on the sitcom Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills. He guest starred on The Fall Guy, George Burns Comedy Week, Simon & Simon, Crime Story, Stuck with Each Other, Superboy, The Young Riders, and Working Tra$h. He appeared in the films Heated Vengeance (1985), The American Way (1986), The Patriot (1986), America (1986), Roxanne (1987), Scrooged (1988), Season of Fear (1989), Fast Food (1989), Night Visitor (1989), Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989), Next of Kin (1989), Heartstopper (1989), Tango & Cash (1989), Why Me? (1990), Dark Angel (1990), Enid is Sleeping (1990), and Dick Tracy (1990).
In the Nineties Michael J. Pollard was the voice of Psycho on the animated series Toxic Crusaders. He guest starred on Paradise; Eerie, Indiana; The Ray Bradbury Theatre; Blossom; Tales from the Crypt; Wings; L.A. Doctors; Becker; and Jack & Jill. He appeared in the mini-series The Odyssey. He appeared in the films The Arrival (1991), Joey Takes a Cab (1991), Another You (1991), The Art of Dying (1991), Motorama (1991), Split Second (1992), Arizona Dream (1993), Skeeter (1993), Mad Dog Time (1996), Stir (1997), Merchants of Venice (1998), The Unknown Cyclist (1998), Tumbleweeds (1999), The Debtors (1999), Forever Lulu (2000), Danny and Max (2000).
In the Naughts Mr. Pollard appeared in the films House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and Remembering Nigel (2009). In the Teens he appeared in the films Sunburnt Angels (2011) and The Woods (2012).
Michael J. Pollard was an actor of extraordinary talent. Throughout his career he played a number of notable roles, and even when he was on screen briefly he left an impression. What is more, his roles could vary widely. As Jahn on the Star Trek episode "Miri" he was both mischievous and malicious. As C. W. in Bonnie and Clyde he was dim-witted, but utterly loyal to Bonnie and Clyde. He played a similar role in Little Fauss and Big Halsy, playing the Little Fauss of the title, a none-too-bright. mild mannered, aspiring motorcycle racer. While C.W. and Little Fauss might not be too bright, Michael J. Pollard was perfectly capable of playing geniuses. In Tango & Cash he played Owen, a skilled weapons engineer. In The American Way he played a genius named Tesla (not be confused with the real-life scientist of the same name). Over the years Michael J. Pollard played a wide variety of roles in a wide variety of films. The films in which Mr. Pollard appeared might not always have been the best, but he always was.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
