Seinfeld: The Cheever Letters

Vanessa Marquez

This coming Friday it will have been thirty years since the Seinfeld episode "The Cheever Letters" first aired. The episode aired on Wednesday, October 28 on NBC. While not as well known as such Seinfeld episodes as "The Contest," "The Soup Nazi," "The Merv Griffin Show," or "The Calzone," "The Cheever Letters" was in many ways a pivotal episode for the show. It is an important episode to me because it marked the only guest appearance of my dearest Vanessa Marquez on the show. It was also the first time she played an adult role after playing juvenile roles in film and TV shows. It was also one of her earliest guest appearances on television.

"The Cheever Letters" was written by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, Elaine Pope, and Tom Leopold. Like many episodes of the show, "The Cheever Letters" featured multiple subplots, some of which carried over from earlier episodes. One of these subplots that carried over from earlier episodes was Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and George (Jason Alexander) continuing work on the television sitcom pilot they are developing for NBC. Two other subplots carry over from the previous episode, "The Bubble Boy," in which Kramer (Michael Richards) is careless with a cigar and as a result burns down the cabin owned by the parents of George's girlfriend Susan (Heidi Swedberg).

The first of these subplots resulting from the cabin burning down is the fact that George and Susan must break the bad news to her parents (Warren Frost and Grace Zabriskie). They do so at a dinner with her parents, and her father takes it very badly. He goes into another room sobbing. It is later, when Jerry and George visit Susan's parents to return her sunglasses, that a doorman (David Blackwood) delivers a metal box, the only thing that survived the fire at the cabin. As it turns out the metal box contains letters between novelist John Cheever and Susan's father detailing their rather torrid affair.

The second subplot that grew out of the burning of the cabin in "The Bubble Boy" is the loss of Kramer's source for Cuban cigars. As a cigar connoisseur who prefers Cubans, Kramer is distraught about the cigars having burned up, and requests that George ask Susan's father for more of them. When George fails to do so, Kramer decides to find a new source on his own and visits the Cuban diplomatic mission at the United Nations. There he strikes a deal with the diplomats in which he trades his jacket to one of them for more Cuban cigars. This is the subplot in which my dearest Vanessa Marquez appears. She plays the receptionist at the Cuban diplomatic mission.

Finally, a fourth subplot deals with Jerry complaining about Elaine's assistant Sandra (Lisa Malkiewicz) being overly chatty. Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) then asks Sandra to not be so talkative with Jerry, whereupon Sandra quits. Elaine asks Jerry to call Sandra and take back what he had said by claiming that Elaine misconstrued his comments. It was while Jerry and Sandra are on the phone that Sandra asks him out. Jerry agrees to a date, which goes badly after Jerry says something to her that, to paraphrase George, is "not offensive" but is "abnormal." This subplot ends with what might be the best line in "The Cheever Letters," a zinger delivered by Elaine towards Jerry. This particular subplot was based on an actual experience by writer Tom Leopold, in which he said the exact same thing to a date that Jerry had, with a similar reaction from his date.

"The Cheever Letters" was shot on September 22 1992 in front of a live studio audience at CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles. When it first aired, it received a Nielsen rating of 11.1 with an audience share of 17.

Here I should point out that the John Cheever who gives "The Cheever Letters" its title was an actual novelist, who lived from 1913 to 1982. He was known for writing four novels: The Wapshot Chronicle, The Wapshot Scandal, Bullet Park, and Falconer (which George is reading at the end of the episode). He also wrote the novella Oh What a Paradise It Seems and several short stories. It was following his death that his daughter Susan Cheever revealed in her memoirs (Home Before Dark) that her father had affairs with both women and men. This would be confirmed by John Cheever's own journals and letters. The idea that Susan's father had an affair with John Cheever is then not very far-fetched.

As I mentioned earlier, while not as well known as some other Seinfeld episodes, "The Cheever Letters" is significant to the show for several reasons. "The Cheever Letters" would mark the very first time that Susan's parents appeared on the show. Strangely enough they would not appear again until the seventh season episode "The Rye," their marriage apparently having survived the revelation that Mr. Ross had an affair with John Cheever.

"The Cheever Letters" would also mark the first credited guest appearance of actor Timothy Omundson, who played Susan's brother Ricky. Timothy Onmundson would go on to have regular and recurring roles on the TV shows Judging Amy, Psych, Galavant. and This is Us. Curiously, this was the only time that Susan's brother Ricky ever appeared on the show. He was absent even for major plot lines.

Lisa Malkiewicz was not the only actress considered for the role of Elaine's assistant Sandra. Dedee Pfeiffer (Michelle Pfeiffer's sister, later a regular on Cybill and currently a regular on the show Big Sky) and Kim Gillingham (earlier a regular on the short-lived show One Big Family) also auditioned for the part. Both actresses would later appear in Seinfeld episodes, Dedee Pfeiffer in the fifth season episode "The Opposite" and  Kim Gillingham in the fifth season episode "The Puffy Shirt."

"The Cheever Letters" was Vanessa Marquez's second guest appearance on a TV show, following an appearance on the short-lived Tequila and Bonetti earlier in the year. While Vanessa was Mexican in descent, it was the second time she played a character of Cuban descent. She was set to have a recurring role as Consuelo Burns, the niece of the new lead character Michael Santana (Steven Bauer), on the TV show Wiseguy, but the show was cancelled before her episodes and never aired. They would be seen in syndication and would be released on the fourth season DVD set of Wiseguy in 2009. Both Michael Santana and hence Vanessa's character were Cuban in descent.

Vanessa never related any memories of her guest appearance on Seinfeld, other than saying it was one of the more pleasant experiences in her career. Given how briefly she appears on the episode (she appears for around a minute or two and has only a few lines), I have to think she did not spend much time on the Seinfeld set. Vanessa did say that out of everything she had ever done, "The Cheever Letters" was the most consistent in delivering residuals to her, even beating out Stand and Deliver (1988). This should be no surprise, given how often it has aired since Seinfeld entered syndication.  Here I have to once more point out that "The Cheever Letters" was the first time that Vanessa Marquez played an adult character. Before the episode, she had played teenagers in the movies Stand and Deliver and Night Children, the TV movies Sweet 15 and Locked Up: A Mother's Rage, and on the TV shows Wiseguy and Tequila and Bonetti.

"The Cheever Letters" was the eighth episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld, the season in which the show finally broke into the mainstream. It was during the season that NBC moved Seinfeld from Wednesday to Thursday night, which resulted in a rise in the show's ratings. For the first time since it debuted, Seinfeld ranked in the top 30, coming in at no. 25 for the year. It was also the year that several of the show's best known episodes aired, including "The Bubble Boy," "The Contest," "The Outing," and "The Junior Mint."

"The Cheever Letters" may not be as well known as any of those episodes, but, as pointed out above, it was a pivotal episode for the show. It marked the first appearance of Susan's parents. It also gave Timothy Onmundson the first credit of what has been a very successful career. It would only be a few years later that he appeared on Judging Amy and Psych. And while Vanessa Marquez only appears briefly in the episode, it marked the first time she played an adult role and gave her more exposure than she had since Stand and Deliver. It would only be two years later that she would return to NBC on Thursday nights as Nurse Wendy Goldman on ER.

On a personal level, I also think it is one of the all-tme funniest Seinfeld episodes. There are some truly hilarious bits here, from George delivering the bad news about the cabin to Susan's parents to Kramer at the Cuban Diplomatic Mission at the UN to the revelation that Susan's father had an affair with John Cheever. And the zinger Elaine directs at Jerry at the end of the show is one of the best closes to an episode of the entire run. Indeed, the line received such an enthusiastic and prolonged response from the audience that it had to be buffered and truncated  when the episode was edited. During its fourth season Seinfeld truly came into its own, and "The Cheever Letters" is proof of that.

Donald Pleasence as Prince John on The Adventures of Robin Hood

(This post is part of the Devilishly Delightful Donald Pleasance Blogathon Hosted by Realweedgiemidget Reviewsand Cinematic Catharsis)

Today Donald Pleasence may be best known as Blythe, "The Forger," in The Great Escape (1963) and Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967). Not many people may remember that he played the villainous Prince John on the 1950s ITV television series The Adventures of Robin Hood. It was Donald Pleasence who originated the role on the series, and he would appear four times as Prince John on the show.

For those who may be unfamiliar with The Adventures of Robin Hood, it was set in England at the time King Richard the Lionheart was away on the Crusades and Prince John was ruling in his stead. It centred on the legendary outlaw Robin Hood (Richard Greene) and his band of merry men as they opposed the machinations of the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Wheatley) in Sherwood Forest and the surrounding area. Although it was not the first British television show to air in the United States, it was the first to be a major hit there, paving the way for Danger Man, The Avengers, The Saint, and many others to come. It debuted in the United Kingdom on September 25 1955. In the United States it aired on CBS and debuted on September 26 1955. The Adventures of Robin Hood proved incredibly successful, inspiring such similar series as The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, The Buccaneers, and The Adventures of William Tell. It also produced a great deal of merchandise on both sides of the Pond. Ultimately, it ran for four seasons and has persisted as a syndicated rerun ever since.

Throughout the series, the Sheriff of Nottingham was often acting on the orders of Prince John, but Prince John would not appear until the final episode of the first season. In "The Prisoner" a rumour has spread that King Richard has died in the Crusades. Taking advantage of the rumour, Prince John imprisons a courier who has arrived with news that Richard is alive, and then sets to have himself crowned King of England. Fortunately, Robin Hood gets wind of the plot. In the episode Prince John makes for a sharp contrast to the Sheriff of Nottingham. Although scheming and villainous, Prince John is a coward at heart and would rather hide than face Robin in combat.

Not only was Prince John on The Adventures of Robin Hood dishonestly and cowardly, he also apparently lacks other morals as well. In the second season episode "Isabella," John plots to set his current wife, Princess Avice (Helen Cherry), aside and marry the French princess Isabella (Zena Walker). John's hope is that once he does so, the French king will recognize him as the rightful King of England. Fortunately, Princess Avice alerts Robin Hood to the plot.

What might have been Prince John's most sinister plot occurs later in the second season. In "Ambush" Prince John plots for Prince Arthur (Peter Asher, later of Peter & Gordon fame), the son of Prince John and King Richard's brother Geoffrey whom Richard had designated as the heir to the throne, to die in an "accident." As might be expected, Robin Hood learns of the plot and takes action to protect the young prince. Here I have to point out that historically Arthur I, Duke of Brittany, was indeed the son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and King Richard the Lionheart did appoint him as his heir apparent. What eventually happened to Duke Arthur remains a mystery to this day, but there are historians who think Prince John had a hand in it.

Donald Pleasence appeared one final time as Prince John on The Adventures of Robin Hood in the third season episode "Marian's Prize." In "Marian's Prize," while the Sheriff of Nottingham is away, Prince John is in Nottingham and arranges for an archery contest in order to trap Robin Hood. As it turns out, Robin Hood and Little John (Archie Duncan) are off on a hunting trip. The merry men then set up their own archery contest, to see which of their number should compete in Prince John's contest in Robin's stead. They let Marian (Patricia Driscoll) compete in their contest and, as it turns out, she is the best archer among them. She then competes in Prince John's archery contest disguised as a boy. "Marian's Prize" differs a bit from the earlier episodes featuring Prince John, which play out almost like medieval spy dramas. "Marian's Prize" is a bit more straight forward and, in fact, the episode could have easily been done with the Sheriff of Nottingham as the villain.

Donald Pleasence was not the only actor to play Prince John on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Hubert Gregg played Prince John in two third season episodes. He had earlier played the character in the 1952 movie The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men. Brian Haines played Prince John in a single, third season episode. While others played the role on the show, it was Donald Pleasance who originated the role and he was the one who played it the most.

Aside from his guest appearances as Prince John, Donald Pleasence also made one other guest appearance on The Adventures of Robin Hood.  In "A Village Wooing," Robin and the merry men seek to help Wat Longfellow (Leslie Phillips), win the hand of the Widow Winifred (Betty Impey). Unfortunately for Wat, Bailiff Baldwin, played by Donald Pleasance, also has his eye on the widow. Baliliff Baldwin is a very different character from Prince John. Although a stickler for the rules and more than a bit superstitious and a little underhanded, Baldwin was not evil in the way John was.

Donald Pleasence did an extraordinary job of playing Prince John, and it is easy to see how he would later become a movie star. He is barely recognizable as John, having a full head of hair and a beard. Of course, once Donald Pleasence as Prince John speaks in any given episode of The Adventures of Robin Hood, it is no mistaking him for anyone but Donald Pleasence. To Prince John, Donald Pleasence brought just the right amount of knavery, conceit, and cowardice. Prince John lacks the Sheriff of Nottingham's bravery, but he more than makes up for it in the depths to which he will stoop to get the throne. While both Hubert Gregg and Brian Haines made for acceptable Prince Johns, neither of them were as good as Donald Pleasence. If Donald Pleasence excelled in playing such villains as Blofeld in You Only Live Twice and Himmler in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), it is perhaps because he got plenty of practice on The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Godspeed Robbie Coltrane

Robbie Coltrane, best known for playing Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" movies and the caustic Dr. Fitzgerald on the British television series Cracker, died on October 14 2022 at the age of 72. No cause was given. He had suffered from osteoarthritis later in his life.

Robbie Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30 1950 in Rutherglen, South Lancashire. His father was a physician, who also served as a forensic surgeon with the police, while his mother was a pianist and teacher.  He attended Belmont House School in Newton Mearns and then  Glenalmond College in Perthsire. He attended the Glasgow School of Art, where he studied painting. He continued studying art at Moray House College of Education in Edinburgh.

He would not prove successful as an artist, and as a result began performing stand-up comedy in clubs around Edinburgh. For his stage name he took the last name "Coltrane" in honour of jazz legend John Coltrane.

Robbie Coltrane made his television debut in an episode of Play for Today in 1979. The following year he made movie debut in a bit part in La mort en direct (1980).  That same year he appeared in a small part in the movie Flash Gordon (1980), the mini-series The Lost Tribe, and the TV movie The House with the Green Shutters.

In the Eighties Robbie Coltrane was a regular and recurring cast member on the shows A Kick Up the Eighties, Alfresco, Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee, and The Lenny Henry Show. He guest starred on the shows Metal Mickey, Keep It in the Family, The Comic Strip Presents, Luna, Are You Being Served?, The Young Ones, Minder, Girls on Top, Black Adder the Third, Saturday Live, French and Saunders, and Thompson. He appeared in the mini-series Tutti Frutti and the television special Blackadder's Christmas Carol. He appeared in the movies Subway Riders (1981), Britannia Hospital (1982), Scrubbers (1982), Krull (1983), Ghost Dance (1983), Loose Connections (1983), Chinese Boxes (1984), National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985), Defence of the Realm (1985), The Supergrass (1985), Revolution (1985), Caravaggio (1986), Absolute Beginners (1986), Mona Lisa (1986), Eat the Rich (1987), The Fruit Machine (1988), Slipstream (1988), Bert Rigby, You're a Fool (1989), Let It Ride (1989), Henry V (1989), Nuns on the Run (1990), Perfectly Normal (1990), and Midnight Breaks (1990).

In the Nineties Robbie Coltrane played Dr. Eward "Fitz" Fitzgerald on the TV show Cracker. He guest starred on the TV series Screen One, ABC Weekend Specials, and Screenplay. He appeared in the movies Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole (1991), The Pope Must Die (1991), Oh, What a Night (1992), The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), GoldenEye (1995), Buddy (1997), Montana (1998), Frogs for Snakes (1998), Message in a Bottle (1999), and The World is Not Enough (1999).

In the Naughts Robbie Coltrane began playing Rubeus Hagrid, the groundskeeper and gamekeeper of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the "Harry Potter" movies starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2001. He appeared in all eight movies, throughout the Naughts and into the early Teens. He also appeared in the movies From Hell (2001), On the Nose (2001), Van Helsing (2004), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Provoked: A True Story (2006), Stormbreaker (2006), and The Brother's Bloom (2008). He was the voice of Gregory in The Tale of Despereaux (2008) and the title character in Gooby (2009). On television he guest starred on the TV shows Frasier and Still Game. He appeared in the mini-series Murderland. He also reprised his role as Fitz in the final Cracker special in 2006.

In the Teens Robbie Coltrane played Hagrid in the final "Harry Potter" movie,  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two (2011). He appeared in the movies Great Expectations (2012) and Effie Gray (2014). He was the voice of the lead elf in Arthur Christmas (2011) Lord Dingwall in Brave (2012). He guest starred on the TV shows Yes, Prime Minister and Urban Myths. He appeared in the mini-series National Treasure.

Robbie Coltrane was a talented and versatile actor. This can be demonstrated by looking at his two best known roles. Fitz on Cracker was cranky, caustic, and foul-mouthed, and tended to smoke, drink, and gamble far too much. Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" movies was about as far removed from Fitz as one could get. Hagrid was soft-hearted, loved animals (both magical and otherwise), friendly, and loyal to his friends. Ftiz and Hagrid were not isolated cases either, as he often played characters who were dramatically different from each other. In Henry V (1989) he played John Flastaff, the vain, overly boastful knight who spend much of his time drinking. In Nuns on the Run, he played small-time hood Charlie McManus who goes on the run disguised as a nun with his buddy Brian Hope (Eric Idle). In two "James Bond" movies he played Russian gangster and former KGB Valentin Zukovsky. Robbie Coltrane was an incredible actor who portrayed a wide variety of characters. What is more, he always gave a good performance.

Turner Classic Movies Announces the Dates for the 14th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival

Yesterday Turner Classic Movies announced the dates for the 14th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival. It is set to unfold from Thursday, April 13 to Sunday, April 16 2023. As usual, it will take place in Hollywood, with the legendary Roosevelt Hotel serving as both the festival's central gathering point and its official hotel. The Roosevelt will offer special rates for those attending the festival. Passes for the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival will go on sale this December.

This year's theme is "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet: Celebrating Film Legacies. This year's festival will be held in conjunction of Warner Bros.' 100th anniversary next year. The studio was founded on April 9 1923.

The High Chaparral

Even today Latinos are underrrepresented in the media. While Latinos make up 18.7% of the population in the United States according to the last census, they account for only 3.1% of all leading roles on television. In the Sixties Latino representation was much worse. Latinos rarely appeared on television and when they did, it was usually in Westerns where they were often portrayed as stereotypical Mexican bandidos or hot-tempered señoritas. When the Western television series The High Chaparral debuted, it was then positively revolutionary. Half of the lead characters were Mexican (even though they weren't played by actors of Mexican descent), and some of the supporting characters were as well. What is more, they were not presented as stereotypes, but as three-dimensional characters whose personalities were not entirely defined by preconceived notions about their ethnicity.

The High Chaparral centred on the ranch of the same name, so named for the chaparral that grew in the area. In the pilot John Cannon (Leif Erickson), his wife  Anna-Lee (Joan Caulfield), his son Billy Blue (often called "Blue Boy," he was played by Mark Slade), and his brother Buck (Cameron Mitchell) settled the ranch, located near the border between Arizona Territory and Mexico. Anna-Lee was killed not long after they settled there in an attack by the Apaches. With the Apaches a constant threat, John Cannon had to enter into an alliance with Don Sebastian Montoya (Frank Silvera), who owned a large ranch on the Mexican side of the border. As a condition of the alliance, Don Sebastian required John to marry his daughter, Victoria (Linda Cristal).  Victoria's brother, Manolito (Henry Darrow), who did not get along particularly well with her father, accompanied his sister to her new home. Blue Boy initially did not approve of the marriage, although he grew to appreciate it in time. Although they married for reasons other than love and there was 30 years difference in their ages, John and Victoria grew to love each other as well.

The High Chaparral was the creation of David Dortort, who had also created what may be the most famous ranch Western of them all, Bonanza. David Dortort wanted to produce a Western where a son did not get along with his father, which would make it quite different from Bonanza. At the same time he thought Latinos did not get enough exposure on television and, when they did, too often they were portrayed as stereotypes. The end result of these two ideas was The High Chaparral, on which Blue did not particularly get along well with his father John and Mexican characters played large roles.

The pilot for The High Chaparral was shot in the summer of 1966. What set the pilot for The High Chaparral apart from any pilots before it is that it was meant to air in two parts, each an hour long with commercials. According to news reports at the time, it was the first two-part pilot ever. As might be expected, the pilot was expensive for television at the time. It cost $600,000. At the time David Dortort thought that if the pilot did not sell, then he could release it as a feature film.

At the time he assumed the role of Big John Cannon, Leif Erickson already had a long career. He had been appearing in movies since the Thirties and had appeared in such movies as On the Waterfront (1954) and Strait-Jacket (1964). Before playing Buck Cannon on The High Chaparral, Cameron Mitchell had also had a long career in film and television. He had starred on the short-lived British series The Beachcomber. Prior to playing Billy Blue, Mark Slade had been a regular on the short-lived show The Wackiest Ship in the Army and had guest starred on such shows as Gomer Pyle: USMC and Mr. Novak.

Despite the fact that their characters were Mexican, some of the actors playing members of the Montoya family were not even Latino. Although she grew up in Argentina, Linda Cristal was either born to a French father and an Italian mother or to Spanish parents. She had an impressive film career prior to playing Victoria on The High Chaparral, appearing in such films as The Perfect Furlough (1958) and The Alamo (1960). Frank Silvera, who played the recurring role of Don Sebastian Montoya, was Jamaican in ancestry. Throughout his career he had played a variety of ethnicities, although more often than not he played Latin characters. Of the Montoyas, the one character played by a Latino was Manolito Montoya. Henry Darrow was born Enrique Tomás Delgado in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. Initially using the stage name "Henry Delgado," he switched to the name "Henry Darrow" to avoid typecasting. Prior to The High Chaparral, he had made several guest appearances on television from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea to Gunsmoke.

On many ranch Westerns on television it was often the case that ranch hands rarely appeared. Indeed, on David Dortort's own Bonanza it sometimes seemed as if the vast Ponderosa was ran by only four men. This was not the case with The High Chaparral, on which one of the lead characters was a ranch hand and several of the recurring characters were also ranch hands. Don Collier played the foreman of the High Chaparral, Sam Butler. Don Collier had been one of the leads on the Western television series Outlaws and had made several guest appearances on television shows.

While Sam Butler was a regular character on The High Chaparral, there were several other ranch hands who appeared in several episodes and appeared from the beginning of the show to its very end. Among these was Sam's brother Joe (Bob Hoy). Prior to The High Chaparral Bob Hoy had made several guest appearances on Bonanza and The Wild Wild West. Pedro was another ranch hand at the High Chaparral who appeared frequently on the show. He was also played by one of the only two semi-regular actors on the show who were actually Mexican in descent. Roberto Contreras was the son of director Jaime Contreras, who was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. Prior to The High Chaparral, Roberto Contreras had guest starred on several TV Westerns. The other semi-regular actor on The High Chaparral who was Mexican in descent was Rodolfo Acosta, who played Vaquero on the show. Like Roberto Contreras, Rodolfo Acosta had appeared on several TV Westerns prior to The High Chaparral. Among the other ranch hands who appeared on The High Chaparral from time to time were Reno (Ted Markland) and Ira (Jerry Summers).

The High Chaparral was filmed on location at Old Tucson Studios in Arizona, as well as  Saguaro National Park in Arizona. Shooting in Arizona presented some problems, as in the summer temperatures could easily rise above 100 degrees. Other exteriors were shot around California, in such places as Red Rock Canyon State Park and Bronson Canyon. All interiors and some of the exteriors were shot at Warner Bros. in Burbank, with scenes shot on Laramie Street on the back lot and Studios 20 and 25 at Warner Bros.

The theme of The High Chaparral was composed by David Rose, who served as the composer on Bonanza (although its famous original theme was composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans). In fact, he drew upon the score he had composed for the fifth season Bonanza episode "The Pressure Game" in writing the theme to The High Chaparral.

For a show that had a large ensemble, The High Chaparral had very few changes in its cast. Mark Slade left at the end of the third season. He was 28 when the show began and was over thirty by the third season. Quite simply, he was too old to convincingly play a teenager. Frank Silvera died shortly after the end of the third season. Don Sebastian was written out of the show as having died. He willed Rancho Monotya to his brother, Don Domingo (played by Mexican acting legend Gilbert Roland).

While The High Chaparral never ranked in the top thirty shows for the year, it did relatively well in the ratings for most of its run. It proved phenomenally successful in Europe, where it was the number one show there for a time. In Sweden a song titled "Manolito," about the character from The High Chaparral, was even written and recorded by singer/songwriter Thore Skogman. The High Chaparral can still be found in syndication in Europe.

The High Chaparral would end its run with its fourth season. Its last original episode aired on March 12 1971. The reasons for the cancellation of The High Chaparral seem to have been manifold. Its ratings were no longer as high as they had once been. It was also an expensive show to produce. The average episode cost $225,000 to produce.

Another possible factor in the cancellation of The High Chaparral may have been the fact that the 1970-1971 season was the year of the Rural Purge, at which time the networks purged themselves of shows that appealed primarily to rural audiences, older audiences, or both. It was mostly CBS that cancelled rural shows and shows that appealed to older audiences, although both NBC and ABC did their share of cancellations of such shows. NBC cancelled The Men from Shiloh (the new title of the long running Western The Virginian) because its audience was too old. Given Westerns have traditionally appealed to an older audience, it is possible that The High Chaparral fell victim to the networks' obsession with the 18-49 demographic.

Finally, it is possible that The High Chaparral fell victim to a moral panic over violence on television that had emerged after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. During the 1968-1969 season CBS had cancelled The Wild Wild West as a scapegoat in the moral panic over television violence. Sadly, the networks tended to identify the Western genre with violence. In an article published in the Pittsfield Berkshire Eagle, the Corpus Christi Caller Times, and other newspapers in mid-March of 1969, an ABC executive uses the fact that the network had eliminated all Westerns from their schedule as an example of their efforts to reduce violence on television. It is possible that NBC saw cancelling The High Chaparral as a means of reducing television violence on the network.

While The High Chaparral ended after four seasons, it would remain popular through the years. In addition to local television stations, it has been shown on such TV outlets as the Family Channel, the Hallmark Channel, INSP, and Heroes & Icons. The first three seasons have been released on DVD in the United States, and the entire run has been released on DVD in Europe. Although not as well known as such ranch Westerns as Bonanza and The Big Valley, The High Chaparral maintains a large following to this day.

Much of the reason The High Chaparral remains popular is that it was different from any other ranch Western on the air. The very fact that many of its characters were Mexican and were not played as stereotypes would set it apart from other Westerns of the time. While Victoria was strong-willed and had a temper, she was no stereotypical, fiery señorita. Indeed, she was responsible for much of the day-to-day running of the High Chaparral. And unlike a certain other ranch Western, when Victoria was captured she would not wait for the men to rescue her, but would figure out her own way to escape her captors. Similarly, Manolito was no stereotype either. Manolito was brave, intensely loyal to his friends and family, and he would always come down on the side of the oppressed. Even the Mexican ranch hands, such as Pedro and Vaquero, were not portrayed as stereotypes. Contrary to the "lazy Mexican" stereotype, they not only work hard, but they enjoy their work. Here it must be pointed out that Big John and Victoria had one of the few mixed marriages on television at the time. At a time when Latinos were rarely seen on television, The High Chaparral was positively revolutionary at the time in its portrayal of Latinos.

Even more so than Bonanza, The High Chaparral was sympathetic towards Native Americans. While the Apache were presented as a threat to both the High Chaparral and Rancho Montoya, they were treated with respect and as characters with their own motivations. For the most part, they were not portrayed as simple stereotypes, a sharp contrast to many of the Western television series of the Fifties.

Of course, another way in which The High Chaparral differed from other ranch Westerns is that it was much a grittier show. The characters on The High Chaparral did not always get along. Particularly in its early seasons, it was not unusual for Blue to fight with his father John, something the sons on Bonanza or The Big Valley rarely did. Even Victoria and Manolito, who were usually devoted to each other, would have arguments. In comparison to Bonanza and The Big Valley, The High Chaparral could be a very violent show. While the show was always centred around its characters (both the regulars and guest stars), it was at its core an action show. Gunfights and fisticuffs were not unknown in its earlier seasons.

The High Chaparral was one of the last Westerns on American television and it was a groundbreaking one at that. It featured Latinos in non-stereotypical roles at a time when Latinos were rarely seen on television. It also treated other ethnicities, from the Apache to Irish miners, with sympathy. At the same time, it was very effective as an action/adventure show. The High Chaparral may not be as well known as The Big Valley, let alone Bonanza, but there is every reason it should be.

The 50th Anniversary of the TV Series Kung Fu

It was fifty years ago today, October 14 1972, that the TV show Kung Fu debuted on ABC. Kung Fu would prove to be a success. For its first season it ranked no. 29 out of all the shows on the air. For its second season it ranked no. 27 out of all the shows on the air. It also seems likely that the show was at least partly responsible for triggering a kung fu/martial arts fad that lasted from 1973 to 1974. It maintains a cult following to this day.

Kung Fu centred on Shaolin priest Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine), who was forced to flee China after killing his teacher's murderer (who just happened to be the Emperor's nephew). He then wandered the Old West, searching for his American half brother Danny Caine. All the while, Caine was pursued by bounty hunters and often faced injustice in his travels, forcing him to use his martial arts skills.

Kung Fu grew out of a movie treatment written by comedy writer Ed Spielman. Ever since had seen the movie Seven Samurai (1954), Mr. Spielman had been fascinated by East Asian culture. He wrote a movie treatment about legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi. In the original draft of the movie treatment, Miyamoto Musashi travelled to China where he was taught kung fu by a Shaolin monk. It was around 1967 that he showed the treatment to his writing partner, Howard Friedlander, who was fascinated by the character of the Shaolin monk. It was Howard Friedlander who suggested that instead of a movie about Miyamoto Musashi, Ed Spielman instead focus on a Shaolin monk wandering the Old West. The two then set to work on the treatment, eventually titled The Way of the Tiger, The Sign of the Dragon.

It was in 1969 that Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander submitted their jokes, along with  the movie treatment, to Peter Lampack, an agent at the Howard Morris agency. While Peter Lampack was not impressed by Messrs. Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander's jokes, he was interested in the treatment about a Shaolin monk wandering the Old West. Fred Weintraub, an Executive Vice President at Warner Bros., also took an interest in the The Way of the Tiger, The Sign of the Dragon. He had Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander write a screenplay based on the treatment in 1970. Unfortunately, Fred Weintraub was not able to stir up much interest at Warner Bros. in the project.

Fortunately, it occurred to Fred Weintraub that The Way of the Tiger, The Sign of the Dragon could be turned into television movie. It would be Jerry Thorpe and writer Herman Miller who would take Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander's screenplay and turn it into a ninety-minute teleplay for a television movie. Now simply titled Kung Fu, the TV movie aired on ABC on February 22 1972 as a Movie of the Week. The TV movie Kung Fu proved successful enough that ABC greenlit a TV series.

Ever since the publication of Linda Lee's memoir about her husband, Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew, some have assumed that it was actually Bruce Lee who created the TV series Kung Fu. In many ways, it is understandable why some would assume this. It was in 1971 that Tom Kuhn, the head of the television division at Warner Bros., offered Bruce Lee a deal to develop his own television series. Among other ideas, Mr. Lee came up with the idea of a Shaolin monk named Ah Sahm who travelled the Old West helping the oppressed. Originally titled Ah Sahm, Bruce Lee retitled it The Warrior and submitted the proposal to Warner Bros. Ultimately Bruce Lee did not sign the contract for his development deal with the studio because of the success of the first film to star Bruce Lee in a lead role, The Big Boss (1971). With a movie career in the offing, there was no reason for his to star in his own television show.

Given Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander's original movie treatment dated to 1969, it seems more likely that any similarities between Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander's concept and Bruce Lee's concept were purely coincidental. Indeed, there were some differences between the two. Caine is only half Chinese and is searching for his half-brother. Ah Sahm was fully Chinese and was simply wandering the West helping the oppressed. Here it must be pointed out that the idea of "Far East Meets Old West" was not unknown in the Sixties and early Seventies. The 1971 movie Red Sun starred Toshiro Mifune as a samurai seeking to retrieve a sword owned by the Japanese ambassador in the Old West. Still yet earlier, the 1960 Wanted: Dead or Alive episode "Black Belt" involved bounty hunter Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) tracking a karate expert accused of killing his employer. The 1963 episode The Rifleman "The Sixteenth Cousin" featured a cousin of the Japanese Emperor and his bodyguard, a skilled samurai. That Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander as well as Bruce Lee came up on the idea of a Shaolin monk wandering the Old West separately is then not at all far-fetched.

Regardless, Bruce Lee was considered for the role of Caine on Kung Fu. He had played Kato on the single season show The Green Hornet and later appeared on the TV series Longstreet. It was Longstreet that sparked Warner Bros.' interest in him for the show. Ultimately, Bruce Lee was not cast as Caine because Tom Kuhn felt his accent was too thick for a series lead. Other actors of Asian descent were considered. Mako was considered for role, but ultimately it was thought his accent was too thick as well. He later made a guest appearance on the show. George Takei, then as now best known as Sulu on Star Trek, was also considered, but it was ultimately decided he was the wrong physical type.

After having considered various actors of Asian descent for the role of Caine, the producers then looked elsewhere for an actor to play Caine. James Coburn, William Smith, and John Saxon were all considered for the role. Ultimately, David Carradine, who was decidedly not Asian in descent, was cast as the half-Chinese Kwai Chang Caine. The casting of David Carradine would result in controversy even before the Movie of the Week aired. The Association of Asian Pacific American Artists filed a formal complaint against the casting of Mr. Carradine on the grounds of unfair hiring practices. They demanded that David Carradine be replaced by an actor of Asian descent and that a Chinese history advisor be hired. While the producers would hire an advisor on Chinese history, David Carradine remained in the role of Caine on Kung Fu.

While a white actor played a half-Chinese actor on Kung Fu, the show would provide Asian and Asian American actors with more roles than they ever had been on American television. Kung Fu would often involve flashbacks to Caine's life at the Shaolin monastery, which often involved his teachers there, including his mentor Master Po (Keye Luke) and Master Chen (Philip Ahn). Other Asian actors would have recurring roles on the show, including James Hong, Victor Sen Yung, Richard Loo, and Yiki Shimoda. The show featured guest appearances ranging from actors Benson Fong to Nancy Kwan.

As mentioned earlier, Kung Fu proved to be successful in its very first season. There was some merchandising associated with the show. As might be expected, King-Seely put out a Kung Fu lunchbox. Topps issued a set of 60 bubblegum cards associated with the show. There were even at least three novels based on the show, credited to Lee Howard (a house pen name, the actual author was Barry N. Malzberg).

For its third season ABC moved Kung Fu from the Thursday night time slot to a new Saturday night time slot where it was opposite The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show on CBS. Its ratings then faltered and for the first time it did not rank in the top thirty shows for the year. It would not be ratings that would end Kung Fu, but instead its star. After three seasons on the show, David Carradine decided it was time to leave for multiple reasons. Indeed, he had warned the producers that the third season would be his last.

Kung Fu remained popular after ending its network run and enjoyed some success in syndication. In 1986, the television film Kung Fu: The Movie aired. The film introduced a son Caine did not know he had, Chung Wang (Brandon Lee). The following year the TV movie Kung Fu: The Next Generation aired. This movie was set in the present and centred on a descendant of Caine, Kwai Chang "Johnny" Caine (Brandon Lee). It was in 1993 that the TV series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues debuted in first run syndication. The series starred David Carradine as a Shaolin monk and a descendent of Caine who fights crime alongside his son Peter Caine (Chris Potter).

In 2021 a new series, Kung Fu, debuted on The CW. Although called a reboot, Kung Fu (2021) actually has very little in common with the original series. The series is set in present day San Francisco, and the show's lead character, Nicky Shen (Olivia Lang) is in no way connected to the Kwai Chang Caine of the original series. Furthermore, Nicky does not wander the United States, but instead fights evil in San Francisco. Regardless, the show has been well received by critics and has done well in the ratings for a show running on The CW.

While it only lasted three years, Kung Fu would have a lasting impact. It seems likely that the show helped spark the kung fu craze of the Seventies. Kung Fu debuted in the fall of 1972. It was in March 1973 that the Hong Kong  movie King Boxer (AKA 5 Fingers of Death) reached the top ten movies at the box office in the United States. It would soon be followed by yet other kung fu movies produced in Hong Kong that dominated the American box office. In turn, there would be comic books and magazines dedicated to East Asian martial arts. The "kung fu craze" would last well into 1974. The "kung fu" craze would forever alter American action movies, comic books, and television shows, with characters from Batman to Buffy the Vampire Slayer being skilled in East Asian martial arts. While it is possible the "kung fu craze" would have taken place had Kung Fu never aired, it seems likely that the show kick-started it.

Kung Fu was not a perfect show by any means. Casting David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine amounted to nothing more or less than yellow face. The show often had inaccuracies with regards to Chinese history and culture. The show would even err with regards to the Shaolin temple, with its priests quoting Taoism and Confucianism when in truth they are Buddhists. Regardless, Kung Fu did give many Asian actors the opportunity to appear in television in major roles. What is more, those roles were rarely, if ever stereotypes. While Kung Fu was certainly a flawed show, it remains popular to this day and would have a lasting impact on American popular culture.

The Late Great Angela Lansbury

Dame Angela Lansbury, the acclaimed actress who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in her film debut in Gaslight (1944), played Eleanor Shaw in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and played mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher in the TV series Murder, She Wrote, died yesterday, October 11 1922, at the age of 96.

Angela Lansbury was born on October 16 1925 in Regent's Park, London. Her father was politician Edgar Lansbury and her mother was Northern Irish actress Moyna Macgill. She spent her early life in Poplar, East London and then Mill Hill, North London. Her father died of stomach cancer when she was nine and her mother later remarried. She attended Hampstead School for Girls where she took part in school plays. She studied acting at Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art in Kensington, West London, and passed with honours from the Royal Academy of Music.

It was at the start of World War II that her mother moved with  both her and her younger brothers (Bruce Lansbury, who would become a well-known television producer, and his twin Edgar Lansbury, who also became a producer) to the United States. Angela Lansbury attended the Feagin School of Dramatic Art in New York City and graduated in 1942. She went to work in nightclubs as a singer, also doing imitations of comedy actress Beatrice Lillie. She received an offer from the Samovar Club in Montreal. She lied about her age and played a six week engagement there. After returning to New York City, Angela Lansbury then joined her mother in Hollywood.

Angela Lansbury, then only 18, was signed by MGM and made her film debut in Gaslight in 1944. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of the young maid Nancy. In the late Forties Angela Lansbury played several high profile roles in major motion pictures, including National Velvet (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), The Harvey Girls (1946), The Hoodlum Saint (1946), Til the Clouds Roll By (1946), The Private Lives of Bel Ami (1947), If Winter Comes (1947), Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), State of the Union (1948), The Three Musketeers (1948), The Red Danube (1949), and Samson and Delilah (1949). She made her television debut in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents in 1950.

In the Fifties Angela Lansbury made her debut on Broadway in 1957 in Hotel Paradiso. She also appeared on Broadway in A Taste of Honey. She appeared in the films Kind Lady (1951), Mutiny (1952), Remains to Be Seen (1953), A Life at Stake (1955), The Purple Mask (1955), A Lawless Street (1955), The Court Jester (1955), Please Murder Me! (1956), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), The Reluctant Debutante (1959), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1959), A Breath of Scandal (1960), and The Dark the Top of the Stairs (1960). On television she guest starred on the shows Robert Montgomery Presents, The Revlon Mirror Theatre, The Ford Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Lux Video Theatre, General Electric Theatre, Fireside Theatre, Four Star Playhouse, Stage 7, Star Time Playhouse, Chevron Hall of Stars, The Star and Story, Celebrity Playhouse, Front Row Center, Screen Directors Playhouse, Studio 57, Undercurrent, Climax!, and Playhouse 90.

In the Sixties Angela Lansbury appeared on Broadway in A Taste of Honey, Anyone Can Whistle, Mame, and Dear World. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Mame. She appeared in the movies Blue Hawaii (1960), All Fall Down (1962), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), In the Cool of the Day (1963), The World of Henry Orient (1964), Dear Heart (1964), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965), Harlow (1965), Mister Buddwing (1966), and Something for Everyone (1970). She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Eleanor Shaw in The Manchurian Candidate. On television she guest starred on the shows The Eleventh Hour, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and The Trials of O'Brien.

In the Seventies, Miss Lansbury appeared on Broadway in Gypsy, The King and I, and Sweeney Todd,. She appeared in the movies Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Death on the Nile (1978), The Lady Vanishes (1979), and The Mirror Crack'd (1980).

It was in 1984 that Angela Lansbury began playing mystery novelist and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher on the TV series Murder, She Wrote. Murder, She Wrote proved very successful. It ranked in the top ten for eight of its twelve seasons, and in the top twenty for all but its last season. Miss Lansbury was nominated for the Emmy Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series three times for the show. In the Eighties also guest starred as Jessica Fletcher on Magnum, P.I. She played herself in an episode of Newhart. She also appeared in the mini-series Little Gloria...Happy at Last, Lace, and The First Olympics: Athens 1896. She also appeared in such TV movies as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story, A Talent for Murder, Rage of Angels: The Story Continues, and The Shell Seekers. She appeared on Broadway in A Little Family Business and Mame. In the Eighties she was the voice of Mommy Fortuna in the animated film The Last Unicorn (1982). She appeared in the movies The Pirates of Penzance (1983) and The Company of Wolves (1984).

In the Nineties Angela Lansbury continued to play Jessica Fletcher on Murder. She Wrote. During the decade she reprised the role of Jessica Fletcher in two Murder, She Wrote television movies. She appeared in the TV movies Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris, Mrs. Santa Claus, and The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. She provided the voice of Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast (1991) and the Dowager Empress Marie in the animated film Anastasia (1997).

In the Naughts Angela Lansbury reprised the role of Jessica Fletcher in two more Murder, She Wrote movies. She guest starred on the TV shows Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She appeared in the movie Nancy McPhee (2005) and was the voice of Grandmamma in the animated movie Heidi 4 Paws (2009). She appeared on Broadway in Deuce, Blithe Spirit, and A Little Night Music.

In the Teens Angela Lansbury appeared in the movies Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), Mary Poppins Returns (2018) and Buttons (2018). She appeared on Broadway in Gore Vidal's The Best Man. She appeared in the mini-series Little Women.  Later this year she will appear in the movie Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Angela Lansbury was extremely versatile, so much so that she was described a "character actress" from when she was very young. While she might be best known as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, she played  wide variety of roles throughout her career. She was the flirtatious, young maid in Gaslight (1944). She played dance hall girl Em in The Harvey Girls tavern singer Sibyl in The Picture of Dorian Gray. In The Court Jester she was the beautiful, but scheming Princess Gwendolyn. While today when many people think of Angela Lansbury playing older roles, when she was young she could and did play attractive, young, and even flirtatious characters.

Of course, even when Angela Lansbury was young she was playing characters older than she was. In Samson and Delilah she played Semadar, the older sister of Delilah, despite the fact that Hedy Lamarr was around ten years older than she was. Angela Lansbury was only ten years older than Elvis Presley, but played his mother in Blue Hawaii. It is well known that Angela Lansbury was only three years older than Laurence Harvey, yet he played her son in The Manchurian Candidate. The Manchurian Candidate is a mark of just how great an actress Angela Lansbury was. After playing a seductive maid in Gaslight and before playing the sweet-natured Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, she played one of the greatest villains in movie history. As played by Angela Lansbury, Eleanor Shaw was absolute evil.

Angela Lansbury wasn't simply a great actress, but she was also a gifted singer as well. This can be seen in her musical roles in movies, from The Harvey Girls to Beauty and the Beast. It is little wonder that two of her best known roles on Broadway were in musicals, Mame and Sweeney Todd.

Given the length of her career, the many high-profile films in which she appeared, and her sheer talent as an actress, Angela Lansbury was well-loved in the classic film buff community. Classic film buffs also loved her for her well-known kindness. Miss Lansbury always had time for her fans and she treated with both warmth and respect. Over the years many fans met her, and all of them said that she was among the nicest people one could meet. Angela Lansbury may have played some of the most villainous characters on screen, but  in reality she was a true lady.