Debbie Allen: "Fame" in the '80s

Debbie Allen in her signature role as dance instructor
Lydia Grant from 1982 to 1987 in the TV drama "Fame".
Source: https://www.the-solute.com/celebrating-the-living-debbie-allen/
(May be subject to copyright)

“You’ve got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying…in sweat.” ~ Lydia Grant

That iconic speech by dance teacher Lydia Grant began every single episode of “Fame”.

I recently saw Debbie Allen, the actor who played Lydia Grant, in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” where she has had a recurring role as Catherine Fox, Jackson’s mother, since 2011.

Although she may have played Catherine Fox longer, Lydia Grant is still her iconic role.

Let's dance
The show is set in the New York City High School for the Performing Arts and follows the lives of students and teachers.

Lydia Grant is the demanding, tough talking dance instructor. The only thing she is more passionate about than her dancing is her students. The quote above, which was part of the opening credits of every episode, epitomized her high expectations. Perhaps the best part about Lydia Grant was she was an actual dancer, played by an actual dancer, and that contributed a lot to the show.

"Fame" spent its first two years, 1982 and 1983 on network television on NBC, then another four years, from 1983 to 1987, in syndication. In Canada, CBC aired fame on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial for its entire run.

Debbie Allen is the only actor who appeared in all three incarnations of “Fame” – the original movie as Lydia Grant, the television series as Lydia Grant, and in the 2015 re-imagination of “Fame” as principal Angela Simms.

She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for “Fame” in 1982 and 1983, and was nominated in the same category in 1984 and 1985. She was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series from 1982 to 1985, and a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1983.

Behind the camera
Debbie Allen was also a producer and director for “Fame”, “A Different World”, and much more in the 1980s and beyond, as well as a choreographer.

The years after
She continued to act after “Fame” in shows such as “The Cosby Show”, “Touched by an Angel”, “All of Us”, “Girlfriends”, “Everybody Hates Chris”, “How to Get Away with Murder”, “Empire”, “Scandal”, “Jane the Virgin”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and much more.

She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

My outstanding memory of her is a 1991 episode of “Quantum Leap”. She plays another dance instructor, this time helping a hearing-impaired dancer escape a sad life and possible death. It was called “Private Dancer” and was an amazing episode of television.

Parting thoughts
Debbie Allen, like Tim Reid, blazed a trail for not only African-American performers, but women as well, in a career that has seen her not only as a dancer, choreographer, and actor but also director and producer. In particular, her work on “A Different World” broke ground for its stories about a largely Black cast of characters at a one-time all-Black college. The show tackled all sorts of issues of race and gender.

Even now, as Catherine Fox, she is playing another strong, confident, brash female character. At times, it feels like Catherine Fox is what Lydia Grant would be in her 60s or 70s.

More than a strong, female character, Catherine Fox is a strong, accomplished Black character. There are still not a lot, and nowhere near enough, Black characters like world-class doctors and surgeons, much less Black women. She continues to break new ground.

Yet, if you grew up in the 1980s, Debbie Allen is best remembered on screen as Lydia Grant. She was a teacher who was mother, sister, mentor, role model, advocate and much more to her students.

“You’ve got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying…in sweat.”

That sums up Lydia Grant.

Tim Reid: The voice of "WKRP in Cincinnati"

Tim Reid in his iconic role as Venus Flytrap in
"WKRP in Cincinnati" from 1978 to 1982.
Source: https://www.listal.com/viewimage/21542949
(May be subject to copyright)

When the clock struck midnight, Venus took flight, playing the best music for all his children through the night.

That was the role Venus Flytrap played as a deejay for the fictional radio station on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”. Over the course of four seasons, there was a lot more to Venus Flytrap than scarves, fedoras, and acting groovy. There were many sides to the character whose real name was Gordon Sims, including one of the reasons he changed his name.

Recently I saw Tim Reid, who played Venus, guest starring on “Grey’s Anatomy”.

It brought back a lot of memories of Venus, the roles that followed in the 1980s, and his impact on the acting profession.

Venus – Rising or Flytrap
Initially, when station program director Andy Travis planned to change the format of WKRP, he approached Gordon Sims, a disc jockey he knew. They agreed on a name change to Venus. Instantly, Sims said “Flytrap” after “Venus”, but Andy dismissed that as a plant that eats bugs. They instead, agree on the name “Venus Rising”.

However, when Andy gets to WKRP and introduces Venus, he instinctively says “Flytrap”. Thus, that was Venus’ name from then on.

Your mama
That same pilot episode has another hilarious moment. Venus is introduced to Mrs. Carlson, Arthur Carlson’s mother and the station owner. She is stern hard, and everyone, especially son Arthur, are afraid of her. Arthur refers to her simply as, “Mama.”

“Hey Mama!” Venus exclaims.

It would be a sign of disrespect to most, but she just takes it in.

Reflex action
One of the funniest episodes of “WKRP Cincinnati” follows Venus and his fellow deejay and good friend Johnny Fever participate in a don’t drink and drive campaign. With a state trooper present, Venus and Johnny are given more and more alcohol then subjected to a reflex test. The idea is to show how alcohol slows down, or impairs, reflexes.

That doesn’t happen here. Instead, Venus and Johnny get faster and faster, much to the chagrin of the state trooper.

It ends when Johnny stumbles into the lobby, where he sees a giant pig. He stumbles back into the booth and declares he must really be drunk because he just thought he saw a giant pig in he lobby. The reality is, that really was a giant pig, the mascot of rival station WPIG. It was there, fresh off a scrap with Herb Tarlek, who had been dressed as a giant carp, which was WKRP’s mascot.

AWOL
The show would get more serious, and deepened Venus Flytrap’s character, when the deejay is asked to pose for a publicity photo, but refuses. When he is challenged by Arthur Carlson, the station manager, Venus reveals his name is Gordon Sims. He was a science teacher who went off to Vietnam. He was just a few weeks from finishing his tour when he saw a fellow soldier jump from a helicopter to commit suicide. That was enough for Gordon Sims, who deserted then and there, a few weeks short of a regular discharge.

Carlson convinces Venus to turn himself in, offering to go with him. Venus does, and is given a regular discharge ­– once he finishes his last few weeks of service.

There still is quite a bit of comedy in this episode. Carlson does accompany Venus to turn himself in. When they ask who Carlson is, Venus responds, “He’s my father.” It is funny, but when Carlson just nods, it is a sign of how their relationship has grown.

Science class
The best episode of “WKRP in Cincinnati”, in my opionion, is called “Venus Teaches the Atom”. It involves Venus and Arnold, the son of the station’s caretaker. She is concerned her son is running around with a gang, and asks Venus to talk to him.

Venus does, only to discover Arnold is disillusioned about school, where they study things he doesn’t get or need, like the atom. Venus bets Arnold every dollar he has on him that he can teach Arnold the atom in two minutes. He proceeds to use a marker and a blank storage room wall, using analogies to gangs and the neighbourhood, to teach Arnold the basics of the atom.

It is an amazing episode of television.

Teacher, teacher
“WKRP in Cincinnati” went off the air in 1982, but it was not long before Tim Reid was back in series television. It was a pattern that would repeat for the rest of the decade.

He took another crack as a teacher, this time – in the sitcom “Teachers Only”. The show had debuted as a mid-season replacement at the end of the 1981-1982 season, then returned at the tail end of the 1982-1983 season. It was set in a Los Angeles high school, with Norman Fell playing the principal and Lynn Redgrave the English teacher.

The show’s cast was re-tooled after the first season, and that is where Tim Reid comes in. He joined the cast for that second season, playing in all 13 episodes before the show was cancelled.

I don’t really have a lot of memories of “Teachers Only”, largely because I never knew when it was on. I do recall it was on Channel 9 though.

Joining the force
It was in 1983 when Tim Reid joined the cast of “Simon and Simon”, a show about two brothers who were private investigators. Reid played “Downtown” Brown, the police detective the Simons were always running into. Every private eye needed someone from the police force, and that was Brown. He would appear in 79 episodes from 1983 to 1987. He also appeared in the 1995 reunion movie, “Simon and Simon: In Trouble Again.”

"Frank’s Place" and "Snoops"
Reid continued to work, starring in “Frank’s Place” for 22 episodes in the 1987-1988 soon. He plays an African-American professor who inherits a restaurant in New Orleans. It has been ranked by “TV Guide” as the number three show that was cancelled too soon. It was a show that received critical acclaim for handling heavier topics such as race and class issues.

Reid was back the next season in “Snoops”, for the 1989-1990 season. He played a criminologist who, with his wife, solves various crimes. Reid co-starred with his real life wife Daphne Maxwell Reid. It only lasted 13 episodes and was cancelled.

I was off to university by 1987 so I saw maybe one or two episodes of “Frank’s Place” and “Snoops” . The outstanding memory I have is the opening credits of “Snoops” where Reid and Maxwell dance, similar to the opening of “The Cosby Show” at the time.

The years after
Tim Reid has just kept on working, appearing in 114 episodes of “Sister, Sister”, nine episodes of “That ‘70s Show”, and a lot of guest roles in TV series and movies.

One of his latest was in “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2019.

Parting thoughts
Tim Reid will always be Venus Flytrap for me. It was an amazing role because it was so groundbreaking, especially for its time.

When you tuned in to network TV in the 1970s and 1980s, you rarely saw any African-American characters, much less ones who tackled issues such as the Vietnam War, class, and education. There were also some cringe-worthy moments that would seem racist now, but it still paved the way for future roles.

He kept on breaking ground, playing professors and criminologists, not roles at the time thought of to be played by African-Americans.

It has been a great career and it does not look like, at 75, he is done yet.

"Dirty Dancing": I've had the time of my life

It is a movie that really launched the career of Patrick Swayze, but what I will always remember about that movie is the music.

The soundtrack spawned three hit singles, garnering Grammys, Oscars and a lot of airplay.

Hearing those songs always reminds me of one of the best times in my life, one of transition and change.

The movie
Awhile back, I watched “Dirty Dancing” on DVD with my step-daughter. It is a love story, set in the 1960s, where a young woman, played by Jennifer Grey, falls in love with the dance instructor at the resort she is staying at for the summer.

What sets “Dirty Dancing” apart is the dancing and the music. They almost become their own character in the movie.

Signature song
Long before I knew the movie “Dirty Dancing”, I knew its signature song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. It was released in July of 1987 and was part of the soundtrack of the summer between Grade 12 and first year of university. It was playing when we cruised the streets of Coaldale and Lethbridge the last few weeks we were home, played on the radio on our move to Edmonton, and was a mainstay on MuchMusic the first few months of university.

“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1987; the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1988; and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1988.

Song memories
One outstanding memory I had was about a month into school. I was coming home from class around 2 p.m. I lived on the top floor of my tower and regularly took the elevator home. This day, as the doors opened, my friend Kim was in the lounge.

For whatever reason, I looked at her and sang, “Now I’ve, had, the time of my life.”

Without missing a beat, she looked at me and sang, “Though I never felt this way before.”

Then we sang the song, dancing around the lounge – and there was no one else around.

It was cool, and cheesey all at the same time.

There have been many different versions of the song since then, but the one I remember best is about seven or eight years ago when I went to a show at the New West Theatre in Lethbridge. It was a medley production and the cast performed, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”. It was awesome because it was live, and not over produced or engineered.

Second song
Before “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” ran its course, a second single from “Dirty Dancing” was released. This one, called “Hungry Eyes”, was recorded by Eric Carmen, who at that time was best known for his single, “All By Myself”.

It was released in November of 1987 and went all the way to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. My outstanding memory of the song was the video, and the scene from the movie where Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze are practising their dancing in a lake and Swayze is lifting Grey out of the water over his head.

Song memories
The second semester of university I took a statistics class with a professor named Gian Jhangri. Instantly, in sophomoric humour fashion, I started singing “Jhangri Eyes”. A friend of mine picked up on it. Any time we were talking about school and he referred to that stats class, he just sang, “Jhangri Eyes” and I knew what it meant.

It was a dad joke before dad jokes.

He sings too
Perhaps, the most interesting song was the third single that made it to the radio.

At first, I thought I had misheard.

Then I saw the music video of “She’s Like the Wind” on the big screen TV at Angelo’s, a pizza place across the street from res that we went to often.

There, singing, “…Just a fool to believe…” was Patrick Swayze. He not only starred in the movie but he sang too.

He was accompanied by vocalist Wendy Fraser, something I only learned after 33 years when researching this post

The single was released in December of 1987 and went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Watching the movie
Seeing the movie on DVD actually closed a circle that began in 1987. “Dirty Dancing” was one of the first movies I saw after I moved to Edmonton to attend university. I had spent so much time staying up late, hanging out, chatting with people, and just getting used to university life that I was tired all the time.

Consequently, I fell asleep during the movie in the theatre, and actually lost the flow of the plot. That was in the fall of 1987.

By the spring of 1988, “Dirty Dancing” had come out on video. One of my friends, who lived down the hall, took to renting a VCR every weekend, and had little mini-movie nights in his room some Fridays but usually Saturday nights.

One night, he rented “Dirty Dancing”. Again, I started watching the movie, but again found myself nodding off, so I just ducked out.

Since then, I read a biography of Patrick Swayze and listened to the music, but it was not until I watched the movie with Amber that I saw the whole movie, uninterrupted, in its entirety.

Parting thoughts
It is interesting that “Dirty Dancing” is set in the 1960s, conjuring up memories of that period. Yet, the movie is 33 years old and conjures up a whole different set of memories for me.

Every time I hear “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”, “Hungry Eyes”, or “She’s Like the Wind”, I am transported back to my first year of university.

It was an amazing, life-altering time.

I distinctly recall, as my best friend Chris Vining and I were leaving Edmonton for the final time at the end of that first year of university, the spring of 1988, we were looking back on the past year.

At one point, I jokingly started singing, “Now I’ve had, the time of my life”.

Funny thing is, looking back, I did.

Larry Highbaugh: Hall of famer in life

Larry Highbaugh, #13 of the Edmonton Eskimos,
in action in the 1980s.
Source: https://www.cfhof.ca/members/larry-highbaugh/
(May be subject to copyright)

Lately, his name has been associated with his grandson who has made a name for himself playing the same position he did, but back in the 1980s Larry Highbaugh was a premiere defensive back, kick returner, Grey Cup champion, and hall of famer in his own right.

I was fortunate enough to cross paths with the CFL legend and hall of famer in Edmonton, before he died way too young at the age of 67 in 2017.

He is the only hall of famer I have ever met.

Hall of fame career
My first memories of Larry Highbaugh are the five-in-a-row Grey Cup Edmonton Eskimo teams from 1978 to 1982. Initially, I thought his name was “Highball” because I had never heard that name before.

Pretty soon, I learned that he was an incredible defensive back, teaming with Joe Holliman to form a formidable secondary. He also returned punts and kicks at an exceptional level.

He sarted his CFL career with the B.C. Lions, playing all of 1971 and part of 1972 there, before moving on to the Eskimos in 1972 where he played until 1983 then retired.

His career totals are 66 interceptions for 770 return yards. Those are both still first all-time among Eskimos. He was a Grey Cup champion in 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982. He was a CFL All-star in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and a West Division All-star in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1977.

Highbaugh’s numbers were solid from the start, with six interceptions in each of the 1972 and 1973 seasons; two in 1974; three in 1975; two in 1976; and then his numbers took off. He had five interceptions in 1977; seven in 1978; 10 in 1979 to lead the West Division; nine in 1980; seven in 1981; four in 1982; and five in 1983, his last year in the league.

He was added to the Edmonton Wall of Honour in 1996 and elected to the CFL Hall of Fame in 2004.

Hoop memories
In 1987, I moved to Edmonton to attend the University of Alberta. As soon as I could, I started playing basketball, mostly pick-up but also intramural basketball.

I am not sure if it was my second or maybe third year, that I was playing a game of intramural basketball. While we were warming up, I noticed the referee. I had never seen him before, but he looked familiar. I think it was my friend and teammate James Taylor who told me the ref was none other than Larry Highbaugh.

I was in a bit of awe. At that point in my world, professional football players were on TV. I never saw them in person. Or when I did, it was on the field at Commonwealth Stadium, but at that point I had been to maybe one or two games.

So, it was pretty cool.

The intramural league must have been his regular assignment, because he did more of our games over the next few years, right into the mid 1990s when he was also officiating our games in the Edmonton Basketball Association.

What I remember most was that he was not afraid to teach us the game.

A new set of rules had been adopted one season. FIBA, which are international rules, became the standard, and there were some major changes, especially around travelling and the shape of the key.

Highbaugh gathered us at centre before the game and explained some of the major rule changes. They didn’t all sink in for me.

Later, during one point in the game, I got beat by this guy and I turned to Larry saying the guy travelled.

“It’s FIBA man!” he said in that American twang of his. “It’s three steps.”

We got to know him as well as you can get to know a ref, and my outstanding memory was of a man who knew what he was doing, had no ego, and was essentially the best ref I ever had.

Court side
There was one other memory. I was cruising through the phys ed building on campus looking for someone, and passed by the racquetball courts. There was Larry, playing with a woman. He looked up, spotted me, and wearing those athletic goggles, waved.

That was pretty cool too.

It runs in the family
Larry Highbaugh eventually went back to the States. He was teaching high school in Georgia in 2017 when he died of complications from a heart procedure.

However, his spirit lived on, not only on the football field, but in the CFL. Although, it was not with the Eskimos, but with their biggest rival.

His grandson Tre Roberson came to the Calgary Stampeders in 2018, playing with them for two years, winning a Grey Cup in 2018, and was a West Division and CFL All-star in 2019. In 2019, he also had three interceptions in his first game and two more in his third game, finishing the season with 10 interceptions and two touchdowns.

In a tribute to his grandfather who wore number 13, Roberson wore 31. It is too bad his grandfather passed away before he could see Tre truly follow in his footsteps.

Roberson left the CFL for the 2020 season, but has bounced around the NFL a little bit amid the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Parting thoughts
It goes without saying that Larry Highbaugh died too young. What really makes me sad was that he was one of the good guys. He was kind, sincere, funny, flamboyant, confident but not cocky, spirited, and a great role model for youth. No more young people, especially those who need guidance, direction, and positive examples, will have him in their lives.

My experiences come from my own time as a youth interacting with him on, and off, the basketball court.

He may have been a hall-of-famer for his achievements on the field, but he was a hall-of-famer in life too.

Donny Osmond and his technicolour career

Donny Osmond after he reinvented himself in the late 1980s.
Source: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/213428469811320205/
(May be subject to copyright)

After Donny Osmond finished second in “The Masked Singer” in its first season, I had to ask myself how many times he has re-invented himself over the years.

From my earliest memory of him singing with his siblings and hosting a variety show, to his re-birth in the 1980s virtually out of nowhere, and his thousands of performances in musical theatre and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” in the 1990s, Osmond has proven he is built to last.

“A little bit rock and roll”
Although his earliest success came singing with his brothers, followed by his rise to fame as a teen idol, I first saw Donny Osmond hosting a variety show with his sister Marie.

“The Donny and Marie Show” ran from 1997 to 1979 on Saturday nights on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial.

It featured a lot of song, and dance, and skits.

A few things really stick out.

One was the song Donny sang with Marie starting with “I’m a little bit country” and Donny following with, “And I’m a little bit rock and roll.”

The other thing was the sibling rivalry between the two, and how Marie used to tease Donny, especially about his purple socks.

Their other brothers would appear as well.

We discovered more history about the family too. The original Osmonds were like a barbershop quartet who got their big break on the “Andy Williams Show”. Their two oldest brothers, who did not sing with the boys, were hearing impaired. The family were also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly called the Mormons. This all seemed foreign to show business types, but growing up in Southern Alberta we knew a lot more about the religion.

A few years later, there was even a TV movie on the Osmonds, also on Channel 13, starring Joseph Bottoms and, fittingly, Marie Osmond as the parents of the Osmond children. It was called “Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family” and came out in 1982.

The 1980s
Donny Osmond continued to perform in the 1980s, but was largely out of the spotlight. He did appear in episodes of “The Love Boat” in 1980 and 1982, and the 1982 TV movie “The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch”.

Then a funny thing happened on the way to the 1990s.

Osmond hired Stephen Machat, an entertainment lawyer and manager, who connected him with singer and songwriter Peter Gabriel.

The result was the single “Soldier of Love” which went all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, propelling Osmond back into the spotlight.

Initially, he was announced as a mystery singer on the radio, but soon enough Osmond was out of the shadows. His image as a ‘70s teen idol had been left behind in favour of one as a contemporary young pop singer. He cemented that image with a follow-up top 20 single called “Sacred Emotion” that went all the way to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The years after
Since then, Donny Osmond has been busy. He teamed with his sister again for a daytime talk show that lasted from 1998 to 2000; hosted the game show “Pyramid” from 2002 to 2004; hosted the 2008 Miss America pageant; and teamed with Kym Johnson on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009. He also played Joseph more than 2,000 times in the musical theatre production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” through much of the 1990s then returned to Broadway in 2006 for “Beauty and the Beast”.

Parting thoughts
It seems like Donny Osmond has been around forever, but he is only 62 years old, which means he could keep performing for a long time.

He may be one of the best performers at reinventing himself and finding new and different ways to keep on performing. From teen idol in the 1970s to pop singer in the 1980s, Broadway singer in the 1990s, and on to reality shows such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Masked Singer” in the 21st Century, Donny Osmond keeps coming back.

Osmond has in fact had a technicolour career, and it all started in the 1980s.

Kyrie Eleison: Lord have mercy on many fronts

The phrase Kyrie Eleison has had a few different meanings in my life, from radio hits to church, and a joke that became funnier as the years went on.

Awhile back I attended a community church service where the choir led the congregation in a song called “Kyrie” and it took me back 30 years.

What’s next?
Mr. Mister had burst onto the music scene in the fall of 1985 with “Broken Wings”, a smoldering single off their “Welcome to the Real World Album”, punctuated with some good bass. It went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 before the end of the year.

Music fans wondered what was next.

The answer was a catchy tune that went to number one as well, but was not as easy to understand as “Broken Wings”.

It was simply called, “Kyrie”.

Not a lot of listeners really knew what the words in the chorus meant:

"Kyrie Eleison, down the road that I must travel;

"Kyrie Eleison, through the darkness of the night;

"Kyrie Eleison, where I’m going, will you follow?;

"Kyrie Eleison, on a highway in the light”.

Initially, I thought it was “Kyrie lays on” like someone is laying on the road and through the darkness, but that didn’t make sense.

So what were they saying? It took my friend David Perlich to fill me in.

What does that mean?
We were talking about music one day and I mentioned this song.

“You know what that means?” he asked. I did not.

“Lord have mercy,” he responded. “You know, like in church.”

We had gone to Catholic school together and attended a lot of masses. There is a portion of the service that goes: “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.”

“Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison”, David said. It was “Lord have mercy, Christ have Mercy, Lord have mercy” in Greek.

It all made sense to me. I just wondered if that meant Mr. Mister was a Christian band.

It would take more than 30 years to find out, but the website www.songfacts.com reveals they were not a Christian band, but lead singer Richard Page did consider the song a prayer. He got a lot of power out of being still and realizing what he’s doing is insignificant compared to the universe.

“Kyrie” went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, hitting the top of the charts in March of 1986. It also appeared in an episode of “Miami Vice”.

Good luck
After I found out what the phrase meant, I started writing it on the back of exams and assignments at school, as kind of a good luck charm. It’s funny, I still had not seen the phrase, so I wrote it, “Kyrie Elaison”.

When I went to university, I continued the tradition. My first midterm was in History 200, fall of 1987. I had met my dear friend Chris Jesswein earlier that first term. We had History 200 together, and that experience helped forge our friendship. Our exam was in a small seminar room, not our regular classroom, and it was being administered by a teaching assistant name Garry Strangways, who was not our professor.

While we waited for Garry to give us the test, he handed out exam booklets for us to write in our name, date, ID number and other particulars.

Then Chris said, “Before every test, I write, ‘We who are about to fail salute you’.” It was a reference to what Roman gladiators said.

I told him about “Kyrie Elaison”.

So, we each wrote both phrases on the back of our exam booklet.

We got our exams back a few weeks later, with a surprise.

“We who are about to fail salute you” had written underneath it, “We who are about to mark salute you”.

Under “Kyrie Elaison” was written “Kyrie Eleison.”

Hmm, I thought, now I know how to spell it.

Heard it on the radio
In the spring of 1986, me and some friends used to go to the YMCA in Lethbridge on Friday nights to play racquetball, basketball, and use the other facilities. It was called “Teen night” and we had full access to the place from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. for one dollar.

One of my friends, also named Dave, had recorded a live version of “Kyrie” off the radio. There was a stereo wired into the Y’s gym, so he plugged his tape in. I recall vividly shooting baskets to that version of “Kyrie” several times because that tape was on auto replay.

That night, as most Friday nights, we cruised the strip in Lethbridge, mainly Mayor Magrath Drive. Dave, his younger brother Doug, and I, just pinned “Kyrie” on his truck radio as we belted out the lyrics out the truck window cruising down Mayor Magrath. It was a story Doug told several times thereafter at school.

Coming to town
That spring of 1986, I also got a job at a greenhouse. It was run by a couple about the same age as my parents, and their three sons who were all about 10 years older than me.

The one son, Bob, was a real B.S.’er. He loved music, and always had a ghetto blaster playing while we worked. We heard Mr. Mister was coming to the Sportsplex in Lethbridge.

Bob started to tell me he, and some buddies, were going to pull off this huge prank. They were going to get to the Sportsplex before the band, and pretend to be the band fooling the fans in the process. He said they were going to rent a limo in advance of the concert to do that. A few weeks later he even said he got his new perm (it was the ‘80s after all) for the prank.

Well the concert came and went and no prank.

He was all talk.

Parting thoughts
The other day I had Google play “Kyrie”, so I could listen to it in the comfort of my kitchen. It wasn’t too long before I was belting out the words like I was 16 again, playing drums in the air and even a bit of air guitar.

It is just one of those songs that you can’t help signing to.

It conjures up such great memories of a great time in my life.

And, as it turns out, it had a special meaning that, at this age, I appreciate much more than I ever could as a teenager.

Rick Middleton: Scorer, penalty killer, and playoff performer

Rick Middleton was one of Boston's top scorers in the '80s.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/
16-fun-facts-rick-middleton/c-302345024
(May be subject to copyright)

He was one of the Boston Bruins’ top goal scorers in franchise history, but what may not be as well known is how prolific a playoff scorer he was and a top penalty killer.

I was thinking about Rick Middleton when I heard Brad Marchand had broken his 30-year-old record for most short-handed goals by a Bruin.

In the beginning
Rick Middleton was taken 14th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1973 NHL Entry Draft after playing his junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals where he led the league in scoring, was named the league’s most outstanding player, and was a second team all-star.

He spent the 1973-1974 season with Providence, the Rangers’ farm team, where he was the American Hockey League rookie of the year and a first team all-star. He joined the Rangers for the 1974-1975 season, where he scored 22 goals and had 18 assists for 40 points in 47 games, his time limited by injury. The following year, he played in 77 games, recording 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points.

Middleton was traded to the Boston Bruins in May of 1976, where he would play the remainder of his career, the next 12 seasons.

Boston breakout
Rick Middleton scored a hat trick in his first game as a Bruin in 1976, and went on to record 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points that season. The next year his production continued to improve as he had 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points in the 1977-1978 season, and 38 goals and 48 assists for 86 points in 1978-1979.

Dawn of the decade
Middleton’s best years would coincide with the start of the 1980s. In the 1979-1980 season, he had his first 40-goal, 90-point season, recording 40 goals and 52 assists for 92 points. That was his first of five straight seasons with 40 goals and 90 points. The next season 1980-1981, he cracked the 100-point plateau with 44 goals and 59 assists for 103 points.

The 1981-1982 season would be arguably his best year, as he cracked the 50-goal barrier with 51 goals, and added 43 assists for 94 points. He won the Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly player and was a second team all-star.

Rick Middleton in the home white Bruins jersey of the '80s.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/
16-fun-facts-rick-middleton/c-302345024
(May be subject to copyright)

The next year, 1982-1983, he helped lead the Bruins to the league's best record in the regular season, notching 49 goals and 47 assists for 96 points. He set unbroken records that year for most points scored in the playoffs by a player not advancing to the finals, with 33 points, and most points in a single playoff series, with 19, in the Adams Division Final.

In 1983-1984, Middleton had 105 points, on 47 goals and 58 assists, tying the team record for most points in a season by a right winger. That record still stands.

In 1984-1985, he had 30 goals and 46 assists for 76 points, followed by an injury-shortened season in 1985-1986 where he recorded 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points in 49 games. He had been struck in the temple by a puck in practice that season, and was never exactly the same.

He played in 76 games in 1986-1987, scoring 31 goals and 31 assists for 68 points. Middleton had 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 59 games in the 1987-1988 season, and retired at the end of that season.

Legacy
Rick Middleton played a total of 1,005 games, recording 988 points on the strength of 448 goals and 540 assists. He added 45 goals and 55 assists for an even 100 points in 114 playoff games. A total of 898 of those regular season points were with the Bruins as were all the playoff points. He also had seven hat tricks in a Bruins uniform, tied for sixth all time on the Bruins, had 10 seasons of 20-or-more-goals, eight 30-or-more-goal seasons, five with 40-or-more, a 50-goal season, and two 100-plus-point seasons. His 898 points from 1976-1988 were seventh overall in the NHL over that period and his 402 goals were also seventh overall for that period.

He has 25 short-handed goals for the Bruins, a team record broken by Brad Marchand in the 2018-2019 season, and is still ranked second all-time in shooting percentage, at 19.7, for players with more than 400 goals. He also holds the records for most points scored in the playoffs by a player not advancing to the finals, with 33 points, and most points in a single playoff series, with 19 made up of five goals and 14 assists, in the Adams Division Final, and most assists in one playoff series with 14.

In addition to winning the Lady Byng in 1982, he was a finalist six times.

He was also named co-captain of the Bruins in 1985, a position he held until he retired. He played for Team Canada in the 1981 Canada Cup, where they won silver, and the 1984 Canada Cup, where they took gold. In that 1984 Canada Cup, he was on a line with Wayne Gretzky and Michel Goulet where he recorded four goals and four assists for eight points in seven games. He also played in the 1981, 1982 and 1984 NHL all-star games.

In 2018, the Bruins retired his #16 jersey.

Parting thoughts
Rick Middleton was one of the best Bruins of all time, his numbers prove that. Yet, what I was reminded of was his ability to kill penalties, illustrated by those 25 short-handed goals, his class as exhibited by his Lady Byng Trophy, and his ability to produce in the playoffs, shown by his records for most points in one playoff series and most points scored in a playoff season not advancing to the finals. That record means he played one less series, which could have been up to seven less games, than other top scorers.

What I remember about Middleton was that that shock of hair he had, wearing no helmet, as he skated down the ice, either stick-handling the puck, pursuing the play, or checking his man.

There was also a moment in the 1979 playoffs when he apparently scored a goal that was called off. The Bruins desperately needed a goal to get back into a game and series with the Montreal Canadiens. There was a high shot and it looked to me that Middleton tried to either catch the puck or bat it down to his stick. Instead, it looked as if he tried to punch it into the net. There was no replay at the time, but the goal was disallowed and the Canadiens went on to win – again.

That play just symbolized to me then, the fact the Bruins could never catch a break against the Canadiens, much less beat them in the playoffs.

Not even one of their best players could catch a break.

And man, was Rick Middleton one of their best players.

Rolf Benirsche: Man of many hats and one helmet

Rolf Benirschke was a kicker with the San Diego Chargers from 1978 through 1986.
Source: https://www.healthcentral.com/article/nfl-player-rolf-benirschke-ostomy-awareness
(May be subject to copyright)

One day he was kicking field goals for the San Diego Charges of the National Football League, the next day he’s hosting a daytime game show, and all through it he was battling and overcoming a debilitating illness while advocating for endangered species.

Such was the life of Rolf Benirschke.

Making the big kick
Rolf Benirschke attended the University of California - Davis. He broke into the NFL with the San Diego Chargers in 1978, staying there until 1986, playing in some of the franchise’s biggest games in the 1980s.

The Chargers put together a string of successful seasons under coach Don Coryell and his pass-happy offence, making the playoffs four straight years from 1979 to 1982, and winning the AFC West Division in 1979, 1980 and 1981.

The Chargers won their AFC West Division in 1979 but lost to the Houston Oilers in the AFC Divisional Game. The next year, in 1980, they repeated as AFC West champions and defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Game before losing to the arch-rival Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship.

Then, in 1981, the Chargers won their third straight AFC West title. Awaiting them in the AFC Divisional Game was the Miami Dolphins, champions of the AFC East, who were hosting the game at the Orange Bowl. It became known as the “Epic in Miami” and has been described as the best game in NFL history, and Rolf Benirschke played a pivotal part.

The teams went back and forth as the Chargers jumped out to what looked like an insurmountable 24-0 lead in the first quarter, only to see the Dolphins score 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to make the score 24-17 at halftime. Miami outscored San Diego 14-7 in the third quarter, then the teams traded touchdowns leaving the game knotted 38-38 after regulation time.

Sudden death overtime followed, with both teams having their chances to win. Benirschke had a chance to end it early, but a bad snap and a poor hold contributed to him pushing it wide left. Miami went right back down the field, but had their field-goal attempt blocked. Finally, after 13 minutes and 52 seconds, Rolf Benirschke trotted out to attempt a 29-yard field goal to win it.

He connected, ending one of the longest overtimes in playoff history, and sending the Chargers back to the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. They triumphed, leaving the Chargers one game short of the Super Bowl for the second straight season.

The Chargers qualified for the playoffs for the fourth straight year in 1982, defeating Pittsburgh in the first round before losing to Miami in the next round.

Benirschke retired as the Chargers all-time leader in points with 766, and held 15 club records. He has since been passed by John Carney who has 1,076 points. Benirschke made 146 field goals in 208 attempts for a .702 field goal percentage which was the third best all-time at that time. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1980, an All-Pro in 1982, and the 1983 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Rolf Benirschke hosting "Wheel of Fortune" in
1989 with co-host Vanna White.
Source: http://nflandhollywood.blogspot.com/
2015/10/rolf-benirschke-in-hollywood.html
(May be subject to copyright) 

Spin the wheel
One day in my second year of university, I was home from class and discovered the daytime “Wheel of Fortune”.

What struck me as odd was that it was not Pat Sajak reading clues and buying and selling vowels. It was someone else but, since I missed the first couple minutes, I had no idea who it was. Finally, at the end of the show, when they were signing off, I heard the new host’s name – Rolf Benirschke.

I tuned in a few days later to confirm that I really heard what I thought I heard. It in fact was the kicker of the San Diego Chargers himself.

He would host the daytime version of “Wheel of Fortune” from Jan. 10 to June 30, 1989, when the regular host went on to host “The Pat Sajak Show”. Benirschke was replaced by Bob Goen when the show moved to CBS later in 1989.

Rolf Benirschke, at left, makes his triumphant return
to the Chargers after battling colitis, helped by teammate Louis Kelcher.
Source: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/
sports/chargers-rams/story/2020-04-11/
benirschke-sports-chargers-san-diegans-health-experts-coronavirus
(May be subject to copyright)

Triumph of the spirit
What makes these successes more remarkable is the personal battle Rolf Benirschke waged. In the off-season before the 1978 season, Benirschke started experiencing chronic fever, cramps, and diarrhea. He was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.

His condition worsened in the 1979 season when he collapsed on the team plane on the way home from a road trip. Benirschke underwent two surgeries to remove his large intestine and spent weeks in the intensive care unit. He was just 123 pounds when he got out of the hospital, but he was on the road to recovery.

He made his return to the Chargers on Nov. 18, 1979 in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was still unable to play, but was named an honourary captain. In front of a sellout crowd, he was helped onto the field by defensive tackle Louie Kelcher who held his hand and helped him onto the field. San Diego came through, winning the game 35-7.

Benirschke returned to the field in 1980, playing right through to the end of the 1986 season.

Community service
Rolf Benirschke also had a love of animals and a concern for endangered species, so he created a charity called, “Kicks for Critters”.

In 1983, for all of these efforts, he was named the NFL Man of the Year.

Parting thoughts
It is amazing what you can hear during the broadcast of a football game if you listen and pay attention. All of these facts about Rolf Benirschke’s bowel disease and “Kicks for Critters” came from broadcasters Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen on Saturday and Sunday NFL games.

Honestly, I thought I had mis-remembered some of this stuff because it really is an impressive list of diverse achievements – all-star football kicker, nationally-televised game show host, endangered species activist and survivor. It took Wikipedia to confirm I, in fact, was not mis-remembering.

The unfortunate part, and one of the reasons for this doubt, is that Rolf Benirschke is another person lost in the mists of time.

It really is too bad, because any one of these accomplishments is worthy of note. Put them all together and you have a pretty special person.

Ben Vereen: Dutiful slave, private eye and loving uncle

Ben Vereen, at right, with Jeff Goldblum in
the TV series "Tenspeed and Brownshoe".
Source: http://www.tv.com/topics/general-tv-discussion/community/
post/ching-ching-the-tenspeed-and-brown-shoe-pilot-review-1426402810/
(May be subject to copyright)

It is still ingrained in my memory. A black man in a bowler hat picking up a dead chicken.

It was the consequence of a cock fight where two chickens, each with razor-sharp claws mounted to their feet, fight to the death.

Pointing out it was a black man is important, because he wasn’t any black man, he was “Chicken George”, a slave in the American South in the 1840s whose express purpose was training chickens for the fights.

He was played by Ben Vereen, an actor who is still acting more than 40 years later.

I recently saw him guest star in the re-boot of “Magnum P.I.” and it reminded me of his career.

Private eye
As the 1980s started, Ben Vereen co-starred in his own series with Jeff Goldblum. It was called “Tenspeed and Brownshoe”, and Vereen played E.L. “Tenspeed” Turner. The show was the creation of one of my writing heroes and role models – Stephen J. Cannell. In fact, it was his first independent production.

“Tenspeed and Brownshoe” was about two private detectives in Los Angeles. Lionel “Brownshoe” Whitney, played by Goldblum, fancied himself a fan of film noir and there was even an episode that paid homage to the Black Dahlia Murders. "Tenspeed" Turner was a con man working as private eye to satisfy his parole requirements.

It only lasted 14 episodes, and I caught the last few on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. Like many shows back in that period, it was not always on as scheduled.

I bought it on DVD a few years ago, and plan to sit down and watch it.

Reprisal
Something I recently discovered was that E.L. “Tenspeed” Turner did not go quietly into that good night after 14 episodes. Ben Vereen reprised that role in five episodes of “J.J. Starbuck” in 1988, starring Dale Robertson. It was another Stephen J. Cannell production, but by then I had left home for university and did not watch a lot of television.

Say uncle
Another recurring role Ben Vereen had was as Webster’s uncle in the 1980s sitcom “Webster” starring Emmanuel Lewis. Trying to capitalize on the success of Gary Colemna in “Diff’rent Strokes”, Webster is a little African-American boy taken in by Caucasian parents played by Alex Karras and Susan Clark. Vereen’s character, appearing in 1984-1985, did not approve of his nephew living with a Caucasian family, and tried several times to adopt him. All those attempts failed and he eventually moved to California.

The years after
Ben Vereen worked steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, guest starring in everything from “Love Boat” and “Silk Stalkigs” to “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”; “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”; “The Nanny”; “How I Met Your Mother”; “Hot in Cleveland”; and much more. He was also in a number of miniseries including “The Jesse Owens Story” and “Ellis Island” in 1984 and “A.D.” in 1985.

He also made a name for himself on Broadway and as a singer and dancer, garnering a Tony nomination for “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1972 and a Tony win in 1973 for “Pippin”.

Parting thoughts
Ben Vereen continues to work, most recently in the TV series “Bull”; “Star”; and “Tales” all in 2019.

I will always remember him as “Chicken” George Moore in “Roots”. The miniseries took him from a boy through adulthood training chickens then as a father. One of my favourite moments was when his son Tom Harvey, after being freed from slavery, was being terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan. “Chicken” George arrived to defend his son and help exact a bit of payback. It was amazing television.

For that role, Ben Vereen was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama or comedy series.

What impressed me was his versatility, acting, singing and dancing in a variety of productions on stage and screen.

He was another actor who, at first, I did not recognize when he guest starred in the new “Magnum P.I.” When I did, it brought back a lot of great memories. It impressed me that he is still doing well after all these year, at the age of 75.

Carl Weathers: From bad to good, the journey of Apollo Creed and more

Carl Weathers, at left, in his iconic role as Apollo Creed, opposite Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, training on the beach in "Rocky III".
Source: https://thetempest.co/2020/06/17/style/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-straight-male-crop-top/
(May be subject to copyright)

The last time I saw him, he was hiring Thomas Magnum to recover a giant fish that had been stolen. How much things had changed since the days he taunted, then trained Rocky Balboa, escaped from prison handcuffed to the man he hated most, and solved crimes for a special task force.

Such was the life and career of Carl Weathers in the 1980s.

The life and death of Apollo Creed

He first came on the scene in 1977 as the world boxing champion and showman looking to host a spectacle to celebrate America’s 200th anniversary. Apollo Creed’s idea was to give a relative unknown a shot at the heavyweight championship of the world.

Creed was cocky, arrogant, loud, and bombastic, when he chose to fight the unknown journeyman boxer Rocky Balboa.

He chose wrong.

Balboa not only knocked Creed down, but went the distance with him.

Creed swore, once the final bell rang, he would never fight Balboa again.

Until he did, after the pressure and doubt from the public compelled him to give Balboa a title shot.

The two went toe to toe, and wound up knocking each other down in the last few seconds of the final round. However, Balboa managed to pick himself up to beat the bell and claim the title.

Balboa would go on to defend his title 10 times. Then, lethargic and out of shape, he takes on the toughest challenger he would face – Clubber Lang. Lang not only beat Balboa, but he wounded him physically and psychologically.

It all looked over for Balboa, until the improbable happened. Apollo Creed shows up, offering to train Balboa for another shot at the title. Balboa agrees, the two fighters bond, and Creed trains him. Together they re-enter the ring and Balboa re-takes the title.

Creed, however, meets his demise when he agrees to come out of retirement to fight Russian champion Ivan Drago. That not only goes poorly, but Creed is killed in the ring.

Such was the life and death of Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers in Rocky I, II, III and IV.

Epic remake
Carl Weathers would play one of his most memorable roles in 1986, co-starring with Robert Urich in a TV remake of an amazing movie. “The Defiant Ones” was originally made in the 1950s co-starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier. They are two prisoners, one black and the other white, who hate each other, get into a fight and, when being transported to another prison, are in an accident that allows them to escape. The problem is they are chained together, and have to work together to survive.

It was one of the first movies I recorded with my new VCR, and it was well worth it. I had not seen the original, so I had nothing to compare it too. That was probably good, because I judged it on its own merits and I liked it.

Carl Weathers as the title character in the
short-lived 1986 crime drama "Fortune Dane".
Source: https://i0.wp.com/www.bulletproofaction.com/
wp-content/uploads/2015/09/200px-Fortune_Dane1.jpg
(May be subject to copyright)

Fortune Dane
Weathers was back on TV later in 1986 with a short-lived TV series. Fortune Dane was a detective, tracking down a hit man. Part of the collateral damage is Dane’s father Frank, who Dane watched die in his arms. A series of events forces him to leave town and take a job working for the mayor of the fictional city of Bay City, propelling him to a career of fighting crime and bringing criminals to justice.

“Fortune Dane” also starred actress Daphne Ashbrook, who earlier that TV season was fresh from a stint in the show “Our Family Honor”. The pilot featured Adolph Caesar playing Fortune Dane’s father. Caesar had just come off an Oscar-nominated performance in “A Soldier’s Story” in 1984, and his role as Frank Dane in “Fortune Dane” would be one of his last before he died in March of 1986 at the age of 52.

“Fortune Dane” appeared on Channel 7 on peasant vision in the spring of 1986 and lasted five episodes. By that time I had a part-time job after school, and taped “Fortune Dane”, watching when I got home.

The years after
Carl Weathers was busy throughout the ‘80s and beyond. He appeared in the movies “Predator” in 1987, and “Action Jackson” in 1988, as well as had a recurring role in the Vietnam War drama “Tour of Duty”.

Beyond the ‘90s he had regular roles on television in “Street Justice”, “In the Heat of the Night”, and guest spots in everything from “The Shield” and “ER” to “Arrested Development”, “Chicago Justice”, “Chicago P.D.”, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”, “Psych” and most recently “The Mandalorian” in 2019. In the theatres, he appeared in such movies as, “Hurricane Smith”, “Happy Gilmore”, “Little Nicky”, and “Toy Story 4” in 2019.

B.C. bound
Interestingly, for a brief moment in time, Carl Weathers had a brief stint playing professional football with the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League. After lettering with San Diego State, he played two years with the Oakland Raiders in the NFL, appearing in eight games in 1970 and 1971. After the Raiders released him, Weathers came to Canada, signing with the Lions, here he played 18 games from 1972 to 1973, then retired from football to pursue acting.

Parting thoughts
Carl Weathers remains one of my favourite actors and it is for that one role in the Rocky movies. I love Apollo Creed, and “Rocky III” remains one of my favourite movies. I still watch it at least once a year. I still remember the utter shock and surprise when Rocky Balboa was at his lowest point, and Creed stepped out of the shadows to make an unbelievable offer.

Then, the bond they formed, especially when Rocky finally beats Apollo in a foot race on the beach and they run into the ocean hugging and high-fiving each other. It symbolized how Rocky had come all the way back, and it was his one-time worst enemy who took him there. Then, when Apollo lends him the shorts he wore the first time he fought Rocky, it brought a tear to my eye. Especially, when he was wearing those same colours when he re-took the heavyweight championship.

Apollo Creed was tough and intense, but also sensitive and understanding. He became like a brother to Rocky, and Balboa admits as much to Apollo’s son in the movie “Creed” 30 years later.

Carl Weathers turned in a signature performance that will be etched in my memory forever.

Corbin Bernsen: Memories of a sleazy lawyer and more

Corbin Bernsen in his signature role
as Arnie Becker in "L.A. Law".
Source: https://br.pinterest.com/pin/678214025116909887/
(May be subject to copyright)

He seems to be everywhere these days. He was playing Icepick on the reboot of “Magnum P.I.”. We tune into a recorded episode of “Tommy” on the PVR and he’s playing the old police chief. Then we were watching “Psych” on Netflix and he’s playing the dad of the lead character, who gave him his keen powers of observation.

But for anyone who watched TV drama in the 1980s, Corbin Bernsen was known for one character – sleazy, womanizing divorce lawyer Arnie Becker on “L.A. Law”.

Divorce lawyer
Arnie Becker could best be summed up in one episode where he is confronted by a client with a dilemna. She said there is no way she will get any money in a divorce because she signed a pre-nuptial agreement before they got married. Arnie shrugged and said, we’ll see about that. He then proceeds to push every button he can, including questioning the husband’s virility and manhood. He eventually wins a big settlement for his client.

He was also a womanizer, constantly flirting and hitting on women, eventually marrying, but wrecking that. He  also finally got together with Roz, his longtime assistant, and wrecked that too.

Yet, like all characters on the show, there was much more to Arnie Becker than sleaze and womanizing.

Friends for life
Arnie Becker’s sensitivity and heart are best seen in an episode in the second season called “Full Marital Jacket”. I watched it again the other night and once more it brought a tear to my eye.

The law firm employs Benny Stulwicz, a man with special needs, in their mail room. The episode opens with Benny being hauled into a police station accused of rape.

Soon after, we see Roz burst into the daily staff meeting blurting out Benny is in jail and he’s asking for Arnie.

Arnie looks shocked and lost.

“I don’t know what to do,” he says, wondering if he should file a writ, or what.

Michael Kuzak, one of the firm’s top criminal attorneys, takes charge and says, “Let’s go.”

They go see Benny, who has withdrawn into himself, looking just destroyed, with his head buried in his chest.

“It’s us, your friends,” Arnie says.

Benny doesn’t talk much, but does indicate he did something bad.

Kuzak manages to get bail, but Benny must be supervised. He also has to get Benny to tell someone what happened. Kuzak tells Arnie that Benny won’t talk to anyone but him.

Arnie is not sure what to do. He also balks at taking Benny home with him to be supervised because he has a date – as always.

He finds Benny in a stairwell where he is still withdrawn. Arnie tells him they are friends, and he needs to tell him what happened.

Benny, still scared and unsure, admits he went to an adult bookstore where he saw a naked woman who touched him and she had him touch her. Arnie asks what he did after that. Benny tells him he was going to catch the bus home, when the police arrested him at the bus stop. He was sure it was because he thought they knew what he had done. Arnie said the police think he raped a woman. Bennie exclaims he didn’t, he just didn’t.

Arnie is completely taken aback. He stands up and mutters, “So you didn’t do it.” He just looks stunned, surprised – and relieved.

Arnie and Kuzak then go to the bookstore and find the stripper who gave Bennie the show. She remembered, joking she called him, “Ricky Retardo.” She provides an alibi for Benny, but will not testify. She jumped parole in Colorado, and is afraid of getting caught and sent back. She reluctantly agrees, but when the times come, she has skipped town again.

“Benny’s in trouble,” they say.

Now, Kuzak and Arnie don’t know what to do. Kuzak, thinking out loud, says they will have to attack the witness’ eye witness testimony.

The preliminary hearing starts soon after. Kuzak says this cannot go to trial because a jury will see Benny as a big man who can’t control himself. He also fears the stereotypes of the time, that the mentally challenged cannot control their libidos. Worst of all, jail will destroy Benny.

“I believed he did it,” Arnie admits.

The hearing starts with Kuzak and Arnie sitting at the defendant’s table with Benny, a united front.

The victim is on the witness stand and identifies Benny as the man who attacked her. Kuzak cross-examines her, asking how she possibly can identify Benny when she admitted she could not see her attacker's face.

She recognized his voice, she testified. Her attacker kept saying, “Enjoy it bitch” and other profanities.

So, Kuzak has Benny so those exact words over and over. The prosecutor objects that Kuzak is grandstanding, but Kuzak asserts the demonstration goes to voice recognition. They had practised this, so Benny says the exact words the attacker said, over and over. He obviously sounds mentally challenged.

Finally, the victim yells out that’s not her attacker. Kuzak says she identified Benny because the police told her he was the attacker.

“Can’t you see he’s retarded?” she screams. Worse, her attacker is still out there.

The charges are dropped, and Arnie gives Benny a big hug.

“Man, I owe you a beer or something,” he tells Kuzak.

It is a touching moment, showing the friendship between Arnie and Benny. You can see the relief in Arnie’s face, and the big sigh of relief, when the charges are dropped.

For a few minutes, the sleazy lawyer becomes a friend.

Bernsen would garner Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1987 and 1988 for his role as Arnie Becker, and would reprise the role in “L.A. Law: The Movie” a reunion aired in 2002.

Lawyers in space
Although Arnie Becker seemed spaced out at times on “L.A. Law”, he actually was in outer space for a memorable episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in its third season in 1989. He played a member of the “Q” Continuum who was tormenting “Q”, played by John DeLancie, who had lost his omniscient powers in the episode “Deja Q”.

On the diamond
As vain and self-absorbed as Arnie Becker was, he may not have been able to hold up a candle to Roger Dorn, third baseman of the Cleveland Indians, a role Bernsen played in the movie “Major League” in 1989, and later in two sequels. And, like Becker, he did have a softer, more sensitive side, which came through in the end.

The years after
Corbin Bernsen keeps on acting, appearing recently in the re-boot of “Magnum P.I.” and the new series, “Tommy”, in adition to much more.

He is also the son of actress Jeanne Cooper, who played Katherine Chancellor in the daytime soap opera “Young and the Restless” for years. In 2004 to 2017 he appeared in 22 episodes of “Young and the Restless” as Father Todd Williams, and was able to appear on the show the same time as his mother before her death in 2013.

Parting thoughts
It took a minute to recognize Corbin Bernsen in “Magnum P.I.”. He plays a career criminal named Icepick, someone Arnie Becker would consider beneath him to represent as a lawyer. Icepick is rough, unshaven, and looks like he has led a tough life. Plus, he’s in jail when we meet him, so maybe he should have had Michael Kuzak represent him.

Icepick is the antithesis of Arnie Becker, and that says a lot about the actor. He has avoided being typecast, and he has moved beyond a role that defined his career for close to a decade.

A lot has happened since he played Arnie Becker starting 34 years ago, but Corbin Bernsen created a memorable, multi-layered character who has held up well and stood the test of time.

As much as he was a louse, and would do anything to win a case, he still had a soft, sensitive side and that's what made Arnie Becker so compelling.

Bye Bye Blues: A Canadian classic re-discovered

Rebecca Jenkins and Luke Reilly perform
a song in "Bye Bye Blues".
Source: Photograph by Telefilm Canada
https://www.timescolonist.com/
(May be subject to copyright)

It is a movie that shines a light on a unique part of Canadian history – the home front of the Second World War. It looks at what happens to a wife and mother when her husband goes off to war, and worse, goes missing in action.

It was greeted with some fanfare when it premiered in 1989 but, due to legal hassles, went largely unseen for decades.

I was lucky enough to see “Bye Bye Blues” as part of a Canadian Forces film festival and, to add to the evening, it was on the big screen at the beautiful Empress Theatre in downtown Fort Macleod.

And it was well worth the trip.

Off to war
"Bye Bye Blues" is set on the home front in a small Alberta town. Daisy Cooper, played by Rebecca Jenkins, bids farewell to her husband Teddy, played by Michael Ontkean, who is off to war. She soon learns he has been captured in Hong Kong, but has no idea whether he is dead or alive.

Meanwhile, she struggles to support her two children in their small Alberta town. To make ends meet, she joins a swing band and starts touring in community halls in the area. At first she is also living with her in-laws but, as she earns more money, she gets a house of her own.

If this isn’t all enough, one of her band members takes an interest in her too.

It all ends when her husband is alive after all, and comes home. Daisy then returns to her life as the dutiful wife, as the times demand, and the band moves on.

The movie ends with strains of the song, “Bye, Bye Blues” playing. It was just one of the original songs written for the movie.

Making of a movie
“Bye Bye Blues” came out in 1989, and I was pretty sure I saw them making it at the Princess Theatre on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton in 1987 or 1988, in my first year in university. I certainly remember the movie playing in the theatre in 1989. Some scenes were also filmed in and around Drumheller. I spend a week every summer in Drumheller and, although it was 30 years earlier, some of the locations, especially the Badlands, looked familiar.

“Bye Bye Blues” was the first feature film made by director Anne Wheeler, a breakout for her, and it is based on the experiences of her mother. She was an up and coming filmmaker and I recall the buzz around her being an Alberta talent.

Luke Reilly and Rebecca Jenkins share
a moment in "Bye Bye Blues"
Source: https://www.whosdatedwho.com
(May be subject to copyright)

The cast

There are several cast members who stand out for me.

Rebecca Jenkins is the lead, turning in an amazing performance as Daisy Cooper. She really does carry the show. Moreover, I did not know until doing some research for this blog that she actually did all her own singing which is pretty amazing too.

Michael Ontkean was, at the time, one of the most recognizable stars in "Bye Bye Blues". A Canadian actor, I first saw him in a show when I was really young called, “The Rookies”, where he played alongside a young Kate Jackson, Georg Stanford Brown, and Sam Melville. He would also play Ned Braden, the straight man on a hockey team of lunatics, in the movie “Slap Shot”. After “Bye Bye Blues”, Ontkean returned to Hollywood where he played Sheriff Harry Truman in “Twin Peaks”.

Stuart Margolin, who played one of the bnd members, is an American actor I remember best as con man Angel Martin, the some-time friend and former cellmate of Jim Rockford in “The Rockford Files”. It was a role he won two Emmys for. Margolin actually moved to Canada, and appeared in a variety of Canadian productions including the series “Mom P.I.”. He also reprised his role as Angel Martin in the “Rockford Files” reunion movies in the 1990s.

Kate Reid was another familiar face. She was a Caandian actress who appeared in a variety of shows in Canada as well as the U.S. including a role as Ray Krebs’ aunt in “Dallas”.

Genie Awards
“Bye Bye Blues” was nominated for 12 Genie Awards, handed out from 1980 to 2012 to honour the best in Canadian cinema. The movie won three Genies: Rebecca Jenkins for best actress; Robyn Stevan for best supporting actress, as Frances Cooper, Daisy’s sister-in-law; and Bill Henderson for best original song for, “When I Sing”. The movie was also nominated for best motion picture; Anne Wheeler for best director and best original screenplay; Michael Ontkean and Wayne Robson, who played Pete of the band, for best actor in a supporting role; John Blackie for best art direction; Maureen Hiscox for best costume design; Christopher Tate for best editing; Paul Massey, Peter Kelly and Garrell Clark for best overall sound; and Alison Fisher, Penny Hozy, Bruno DeGazio, Peter Thilaye and Alison Grace for best sound editing.

The years after
I found it strange that, every so often I thought of “Bye Bye Blues”, but it never seemed to be playing anywhere. It wasn’t on TV, which was strange because, with Canadian content regulations, good Canadian movies are always in demand, and played often. I never saw it in the video store on tape, or later DVD or Blu-ray. It just seemed to vanish.

So, when I saw it advertised as the opening movie in the Canadian forces film festival, I circled the date on my calendar.

Part of the charm of the festival is that its organizer, Stéphane Guevremont, a military historian from Calgary, introduces each film and discusses each one afterwards.

He explained that “Bye Bye Blues” had been embroiled in legal battles not long after its release. In later research, I discovered no one knew who held copyright, so it could not be shown on TV, in theatres or released on tape, DVD, blu-ray or online.

It was not until Rebecca Jenkins was able to secure the copyright in 2013, that the movie was once again available to the public. This is the same Rebecca Jenkins who starred in the movie. It had been so long, there were only two good prints left of the movie. However, since then, I have seen it on demand and, well, in the theatre.

Parting thoughts
It was 30 years in the making, but I finally saw “Bye Bye Blues”, and it could not have been a more spectacular setting – the beautiful and historic Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod. More than just the setting, the presentations by Stéphane Guevremont added so much. He explained the copyright issues and why the movie was out of circulation for decades. He even thought about inviting Rebecca Jenkins to the showing in Fort Macleod, but realized the film festival is about and for veterans, so his resources she be devoted to them.

He also talked about how interesting it would have been to see the years after for Daisy and Teddy Cooper. He said Teddy had been captured in Hong Kong, and those prisoners suffered some of the worst treatment in the war. In one scene late in the movie, after Teddy has come home, we hear him screaming and having nightmares. Guevremont said that was post-traumatic stress disorder. The Hong Kong veterans had some of the worst cases, some ending in violence and suicide. He said it would not have been a good life for Teddy or Daisy.

Beyond that, I thought the movie really stands up well. Partly because it is a period piece, and the 1940s is still the 1940s whether in 2018 or 1989.

The performances are excellent too, especially Jenkins who earned that Genie, and Luke Reilly, who played the trombone player she has sparks with. And the music is amazing. It is all, I believe, original but sounds straight out of the 1940s. It just adds to the atmosphere and story. Hearing “Bye Bye Blues” as the last scene plays is heartbreaking – the highest kind of drama.

“Bye Bye Blues” was also the signature film for writer and director Anne Wheeler. She has strung together an impressive list of incredible television work, including episodes of “North of 60”; “Jake and the Kid”; “Cold Squad”; “DaVinci’s Inquest”; “Mysterious Ways”; “Arctic Air”; “Cracked”; “Bomb Girls”; and “Heartland”. She has also directed several movies, securing Genie nominations for Best Achievement in Direction for “Loyalties” in 1986; “Cowboys Don’t Cry” in 1988; “Bye Bye Blues” in1989; and “Suddenly Naked” in 2001. She was also presented with an honourary degree by the University of Alberta in 1990, and I was there to see her get it. It was my friend Rob Jaques' convocation. And she wrote and directed another one of my favourite Canadian movies, "The War Between Us" in 1995.

More than anything, Anne Wheeler is an inspiration and role model to Canadian writers and filmmakers. She is a hero of mine because she is from Alberta and shows us you don’t have to leave the province or country to make it. She showed us you can tell Canadian stories and they are just as compelling as anything from the U.S. or Europe.

“Bye Bye Blues” is the best example of that, telling a Canadian story about a part of the Second World War that is not often explored – the people at home, waiting for the war to end, and waiting for their loved ones to come home.

We really need to tell more of these stories.

Joan Collins: From vamp to horror story

Joan Collins modelling some of the fashions of the 1980s.
Source: https://www.tvguide.com/news/natgeo-80s-dynasty-1063997/
(May be subject to copyright)

She had a rebirth on American Horror Story among a coven of witches, but Joan Collins was casting spells back in the 1980s as the vamp on one of the decade’s most memorable night time dramas.

Her seven years on “Dynasty” may have made her a household name, at a time when thick make-up, shoulder pads and glamour ruled, but Collins’ career was much more than just Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter.

Meeting Captain Kirk
“City on the Edge of Forever” is one of the best episodes of “Star Trek: The Original Series”. In fact, it is one of the best episodes of any show in the “Star Trek” franchise.

The Enterprise comes upon a planet with a time portal. Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy has inadvertently injected himself with a drug that has made him delusional. Suddenly, as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are on the planet's surface, examining the portal, McCoy appears. He stumbles toward the time portal and plunges through it, disappearing to some unknown point. Soon after, the landing party loses contact with the Enterprise. Spock determines McCoy somehow changed the timeline, causing the Enterprise to disappear. Now they have to go back and prevent him from doing that, or they too will disappear.

Kirk and Spock figure about when to jump, and land in 1930s America. They set themselves up as Spock tries to fix his tricorder which has been damaged. While he does that, they meet Edith Keeler, a social activist who helps the less fortunate. She is also part of a peace movement to keep the United States out of the Second World War.

Spock gets the tricorder to work, just long enough to briefly see the history. Essentially he discovers the dilemma they have. On one hand, Edith’s peace movement is effective enough to keep the Americans out of the Second World War long enough for Germany to win the war. That means the technology to create the Enterprise is never developed. On the other hand, Edith dies and the timeline is restored.

Complicating matters is the fact Kirk has, surprise surprise, fallen in love with Edith.

The other challenge is they do not know when or how she may die.

Then it happens, Edith is about to cross the street. McCoy appears, seeing a vehicle on a collision course with Edith. Kirk grabs him, before he can save her. The vehicle hits her, and she dies in their arms.

It is an amazing episode.

Joan Collins as Edith Keeler with Captain James T. Kirk,
played by William Shatner, in the classic "Star Trek" episode
"City on the Edge of Forever"
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/
(May be subject to copyright)

A young Joan Collins played Edith Keeler.

At first, it took a little getting used to, not only because she was 20 years younger, but she wore little 

make-up. After all, it was the Great Depression. In fact, she just glowed on the screen, and it really showed how naturally beautiful she was.

Although that episode first aired in 1967, I did not discover it until the 1980s. First, I read the story in one of the anthologies of novelized "Star Trek" episodes written by James Blish. Then I saw it on peasant vision one Saturday morning on CBC Channel 9.

It won all sorts of awards, and is still one of my favourite episodes of any Star Trek.

Surprise witness
“Dynasty” debuted in 1981 as the story of Crystal Grant, a poor woman, played by Linda Evans, who marries Blake Carrington, a rich oil millionaire, how she fits in with his family, and deals with Matthew Blaisdell, the more blue collar ex-boyfriend who still has feelings for her.

As the first season unfolds, we get to know the various members of the Carrington family and associates.

It culminates in the trial of Blake Carrington for the murder of his son Steven’s lover and boyfriend.

The first season cliffhanger teases to a surprise witness.

That witness turns out to be Alexis Carrington, Blake’s ex-wife.

A more mature, sexier Joan Collins played Alexis Carrington.

Vamp ‘80s style
Alex Carrington became one of those villains you loved to hate. She was constantly scheming, plotting, backstabbing and sleeping with whoever she had to in order to get what she wanted.

Often standing in her way, metaphorically and physically, was Crystal Carrington. The two wives of Blake Carrington went toe to toe on many occasions, including a memorable fight that ended up in a swimming pool.

Through it all, she was sharply dressed, perfectly coiffed and manicured, making fashion one of the hallmarks of “Dynasty”. It is what differentiated it from other night-time dramas.

In fact, the appearance of Joan Collins is credited with saving “Dynasty”. It was not a serious contender to “Dallas” or other night-time dramas, and was struggling in the ratings.

That all changed when Joan Collins strode onto the screen. She would take “Dynasty” all the way to number one in the United States by 1985, relegating “Dallas” to number two.

Multi-tasking
Collins remained busy throughout the ‘80s, appearing in a variety of roles, often playing against type and not being the antagonist but the heroine. Often she was still in glamourous roles, such as “Paper Dolls” in 1982, “Making of a Male Model” in 1983, “The Cartier Affair” in 1984, and the two miniseries “Sins” in 1986 and “Monte Carlo” in 1987. Sometimes, it was not overly glamourous, such as “The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch” in 1982.

The years after
“Dynasty” ended in 1989, but Joan Collins kept on working. She made appearances in a “Dynasty” reunion in 1991, had guest spots in TV series from “Roseanne”, “The Nanny”, and “Will and Grace” in the 1990s, and right up to her recent turn in 2018 in “American Horror Story” and a guest spot in the new “Hawaii Five-O” in 2019.

Parting thoughts
It was in the 1980s when Joan Collins became a sex symbol, vamp and household name. Not a week went by during the height of “Dynasty” that she did not appear on the cover of some magazine in the racks at the Safeway super market. She will always be synonymous with glamour, fashion, jewellery, and much more.

She still looks great well into her 80s, turning 87 in May, the same age as my own mother.

Judging by her work in “American Horror Story”, Joan Collins not only still has a lot to offer, but is showing no signs of slowing down.

It is an inspiration to all of us.