Kim Carnes: “Remembering Bette Davis Eyes” and more

She told us all about the eyes of a movie star, but the raspy voice of Kim Carnes was much more than that one hit single “Bette Davis Eyes”.

She would produce a variety of other songs, a duet with a legend, and much more.

It is Kim Carnes birthday today, and a good chance to look back.

In the beginning
Kim Carnes started her career in 1962, signing her first publishing deal. She released her first solo album in 1971, and her second one in 1975. That album yielded her first chart single, “You’re A Part of Me”, which peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Her third album came out in 1976. In 1978, she recorded “You’re A Part of Me” as a duet with Gene Cotton, and it went all the way to number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Her career would take off just as a new decade was starting.

Dawn of the decade
In 1980, Kim Carnes teamed up with country music super star Kenny Rogers on “Don’t Fall in Love With a Dreamer”. It was a duet written by Carnes and her husband Dave Ellingson for Rogers’ 1980 album “Gideon”.

The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100; number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart; and number three on the Billboard Hot Country chart. The song also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus

Later in 1980, Carnes recorded a cover of “More Love” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. That song was Carnes’ first top 10 single as a solo artist, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number six on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

The next year Kim Carnes’ career would explode.

Smash hit
“Bette Davis Eyes” was originally written and composed by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss in 1974.

Kim Carnes recorded “Bette Davis Eyes” in 1981, releasing it in March. The song went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and spent nine weeks there. It was the first single from the album “Mistaken Identity”, which also hit number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, staying there for four weeks.

Wikipedia reveals “Bette Davis Eyes” was the biggest hit of 1981 and, according to Billboard, is the second biggest hit of the 1980s, after “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.

“Bette Davis Eyes” won the Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while Carnes was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female. “Mistaken Identity” was also nominated for Album of the Year.

It would be next to impossible to top that, but Carnes kept on recording and performing through the rest of the ‘80s.

Best of the rest
Kim Carnes would chart several singles over the next few years. In 1981, “Draw of the Cards” peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1982, “Voyeur” peaked at number 29, and earned Carnes a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance Female, while “Does it Make You Remember” peaked at number 36.

In 1983, “Invisible Hands” went all the way to number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it earned Carnes another Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance Female.

In 1984, “You Make My Heart Beat Faster (And That’s All That Matters)” went to number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.

That summer of 1984, I was working in the sugar beat fields and listened to a pocket radio while I worked. A song I kept hearing was “I Pretend” by Kim Carnes, and I really liked it. It peaked at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Last hurrah
Kim Carnes would find her final chart success in 1984 and 1985.

She recorded “What About Me?” in 1984 with Kenny Rogers and James Ingram. The song went all the way to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Then, in 1985, she recorded another great solo song in “Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)”. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is still one of my favourite Kim Carnes songs. It is also Kim Carnes’ last top 20 single to date.

It was the debut single from the album “Barking at Airplanes”, which went all the way to number 48 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

We Are the World

In 1985, drought and famine struck Africa in the 1980s, hitting Ethiopia particularly hard. After a group of British artists banded together at Christmas of 1984 to record a charity single called “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, artists around the world began to raise money and awareness.

A group of American artists called USA for Africa recorded a single called “We Are the World”, co-written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. Carnes has a part in the song singing “While we stand together as one” with Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis.

Kim Carnes continues to record and produce to this day.

Parting thoughts
“Bette Davis Eyes” truly is an anthem of the ‘80s. It is no surprise it was the top song of 1981 and the number two song for the entire decade, because it was always on the radio. I had heard it several times long before I really got into music.

Not only popular, it was a much decorated song as well. I recall seeing Carnes accept the award for Record of the Year on the Grammy broadcast that year, wondering what “Bette Davis Eyes” meant.

Kim Carnes would go on to have moderate chart success after “Bette Davis Eyes”, proving she was not a one-hit wonder.

“Bette Davis Eyes” is a big part of the soundtrack of the ‘80s.

Even if Kim Carnes was, what a one-hit wonder, what a hit it is.

Earl Hamner Jr.: From “The Waltons” to “Falcon Crest”

Earl Hamner, Jr., creator of "The Waltons" and "Falcon Crest".

Source: https://goldenglobes.com/articles/earl-hamner-jr-creator-golden-globe-winner-waltons-1923-2016/

(May be subject to copyright)

Although the character narrating “The Waltons” is John-Boy Walton, the eldest son and aspiring writer in the family, this man is the actual voice.

Creator Earl Hamner based “The Waltons” on his experiences growing up in the mountains of Virginia.

Ultimately, like all good shows, “The Waltons” ran its course and ended.

The next year, Earl Hamner was back, with a show nothing like “The Waltons”. In fact, in so many ways “Falcon Crest” was the exact opposite of “The Waltons”.

It was Earl Hamner’s birthday recently, and I thought that a good opportunity to look back at the interesting and diverse work he contributed to pop culture in the ‘80s.

The years before
Earl Hamner Jr. got his big break in Hollywood as a writer in 1962 with “The Hunt”, an episode of “The Twilight Zone”. He would go on to write seven more episodes of the show between 1962 and 1964 – “A Piano in the House”; “Jess-Belle”; “Ring-a-Ding Girl”; “You Drive”; “Black Leather Jackets”; “Stopover in a Quiet Town”; and “The Bewitchin’ Pool”.

He would write eight episodes of the series “Gentle Ben” from 1967 to 1969, and four episodes of the sitcom “Nanny and the Professor” in 1970.

Hamner also wrote the TV movie “Heidi” in 1968 and “Appalachian Autumn” in 1969, the first television play episode of the third season of “CBS Playhouse”.

In 1971, he wrote the script for a television movie, based on a novel he wrote, that served as the pilot for what became a long-running television series

The Waltons
In 1961, Earl Hamner Jr. wrote “Spencer’s Mountain”, a novel based on his life growing up in Schuyler, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was subsequently made into a movie of the same name in 1963, starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara.

The “Spencer’s Mountain” novel and movie served as the basis for the 1971 television movie “The Homecoming:A Christmas Story”.

That, in turn, was the pilot for “The Waltons”.

The show, set during the 1930s, Great Depression and Second World War, is about a family living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia on Walton’s Mountain operating a sawmill.

John and Olivia Walton, played by Ralph Waite and Michael Learned, are the parents of seven children.

The show is narrated by John-Boy Walton, played by Richard Thomas. He is the eldest child of the family and wants to be a writer. The voice is provided by Earl Hamner, who based the show on his own experiences growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

The rest of the Walton children are Jason, played by Jon Walmsley, who aspired to be a musician and performed often in the Dew Drop Inn in Rockfish; Mary Ellen, the eldest daughter, played by Judy Norton-Taylor, who was independent-minded and became a nurse; Erin, played by Mary McDonough, who was a telephone operator and supervisor at a factory; Ben, played by Eric Scott, who had red hair and was a bit of an entrepreneur; James Robert, or Jim-Bob, played by David W. Harper, who aspired to be a pilot; and Elizabeth, the youngest, played by Kami Cotler.

John’s parents, played by Will Geer and Ellen Corby, lived with the family as well.

There were also all sorts of friends and acquaintances. The Waltons shopped at the general store operated by Ike Godsey and his wife Corabeth; they hung out with the Baldwin sisters, who were seniors, and made moonshine they called “Papa’s Recipe”; their church pastor was played by a very young John Ritter; and there were so many more.

The “Waltons” would run nine seasons from 1972 to 1981 for 221 episodes. There were also six reunion movies,

Falcon Crest
Just as “The Waltons” went off the air, Hamner’s next great show was going into production

In the 1981 “TV Guide” fall preview edition, Hamner was described as “coming off his mountain” and going to the vineyards of California.

His new show was called “Falcon Crest”, debuting in December of 1981 and spanning the rest of the decade. The show focused on Falcon Crest, a vineyard in the fictional Tuscany Valley, owned by the Gioberti family. As the show began, Falcon Crest was owned and operated by Angela Channing and her brother Jason Gioberti. In the series opener, Jason dies a suspicious death that is covered up by Angela. Jason’s death brings son Chase Gioberti, a pilot, home to grieve his father. However, in the process Chase inherits a small piece of Falcon Crest and a house, so he decides to move his wife and two children to Southern California. Over the course of the first season, Chase settles in, and tries to figure out the cause of his father’s death. Meanwhile, Angela tries to keep it covered up. You see, if the death turns out to be suspicious, Chase stands to inherit half of Falcon Crest, and Angela does not want that.

Over time there would be more characters and conflict, much of it over Falcon Crest.

In so many ways, “Falcon Crest” was the exact opposite of “The Waltons”. Where the Walton family was poor, hard-working, and honest, with its members always pulling together to survive, the Giobertis were rich and bursting at the seams with intrigue and betrayal.

I recall distinctly where I was when I saw the premiere of “Falcon Crest”. I was staying over night with my sister in this apartment she had on Mayor Magrath Drive in Lethbridge that has long since been torn down. It had hardwood floors and the woman living above my sister walked around her apartment in high heels. I remember really enjoying the show, and wanting more.

I ended up watching it religiously until 1985. I was in Grade 11 and started going out on Friday nights, with my friends when “Falcon Crest” aired.

“Falcon Crest” ran for nine seasons, from 1981 to 1990, for a total of 227 episodes.

Prolific writer
Earl Hamner wrote a lot of other shows. He created “Apple’s Way” for the 1973-1974 and 1974-1975 seasons, featuring a family relocating from Los Angeles to a small town in Iowa, and the culture shock that resulted.

Hamner wrote the screenplay for the classic “Heidi” in 1968; “Appalachian Autumn” in 1969; the children’s classic “Charlotte’s Web” in 1973; and “Where the Lilies Bloom” in 1974.

He wrote “Boone” for the 1983-1984 season, featuring Boone Sawyer, played by Tom Byrd, a teenage boy who wants to make it big in music. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes. Hamner also wrote “The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story” in 1983, starring Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury and Polly Holliday.

Earl Hamner died on March 24, 2016.

He was 92.

Parting thoughts
Digging deeper into the work of Earl Hamner, Jr., reveals much of his work was based on the area he grew up in. Many of the stories are in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, and Appalachia.

That’s why “Falcon Crest” is such an intriguing creation. It is such a grave departure from everything else he wrote.

“The Waltons” was a straight up drama, set in a real times, particularly the Great Depression and the Second World War. Its characters were everyday people struggling to survive. “Falcon Crest” was a soap opera, with characters who were rich, living opulent lives, and dealing with melodramatic challenges. At times, “Falcon Crest” was a prime time fairy tale.

I think Earl Hamner’s ability to move from “The Waltons” to “Falcon Crest” illustrates just how good a writer he was.

Bob Newhart: The comic genius of Bob Newhart

Bob Newhart, at left, with Mary Frann who played his TV wife on "Newhart" in the '80s

Source: https://www.tvinsider.com/1066732/newhart-fun-facts-series-premiere-40th-anniversary/

(May be subject to copyright)

It still goes down as one of the biggest surprise endings in television history. What makes it even more amazing is that it connected the two shows that Bob Newhart was known for.

Whether he was a Chicago psychologist or a Vermont innkeeper, Newhart brought his dry, deadpan sense of comic timing to the role he played.

He was an actor who so often could communicate so much without saying so much as a word. A look, a gesture, or a dramatic pause could have the studio audience in stitches.

I was sad to hear today that Bob Newhart had died at the age of 94.

Let’s talk
My first exposure to Bob Newhart was in the “Bob Newhart Show” where he played Bob Hartley, a psychologist in Chicago with a wide variety of interesting patients. Suzanne Pleshette played his wife Emily; Peter Bonerz played Jerry, a dentist who shared an office space with bob; Marcia Wallace played the secretary Bob and Jerry shared; and Bill Daily played Howard Borden, Bob and Emily’s next-door neighbour and friend, who was a pilot.

I recall several of his patients, specifically the smart-mouthed Mr. Carlin, played by Jack Riley; nebbishy Mr. Peterson, played by John Fiedler; and a patient played by Howard Hesseman who, in one episode, was obsessed with coming up with game show ideas.

For his efforts, Newhart was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy TV series in 1974 and 1976.

“The Bob Newhart Show” ran for six seasons from 1972 to 1978, for a total of 142 episodes.

The big screen
Bob Newhart had also been in a number of movies including “Hell is for Heroes”; “Hot Millions”; “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever”; and “Catch -22”.

I remember him best in “Cold Turkey”, released in 1971. “Cold Turkey” always seemed to be on in reruns. It is about a town that vows to quit smoking for 30 days to win $25 million tax-free offered by a tobacco company as a publicity stunt.

This is another movie I saw the first part of several times, but fell asleep before I could see how it ended.

To the rescue
The next time I encountered Bob Newhart, it was actually his voice.

I had seen commercials for this Disney cartoon that really looked interesting, so one weekend afternoon my Mom and my sister took me to the College Cinema in the Woolco Mall in Lethbridge to see “The Rescuers”.

A little girl named Penny sends out a cry for help with a message in a bottle. Two rescuers, Miss Bianca, voiced by Eva Gabor, and Bernard, voiced by Bob Newhart, answer the call and go on this awesome adventure to rescue her.

It was one of my favourite cartoons, and Bernard, a stuttering janitor, is a big part of the reason for that. In the days before movies on tape or demand, if I wanted to re-visit a good movie, the best I could do, beyong waiting for the rare occasion it would air on TV in the three-channel universe, was buy the book “The Rescuers” from Scholastic Books.

When I was watching “The Rescuers”, the voice of Bernard sounded familiar but I could just not place it. I waited for the credits. When I saw it was Bob Newhart, I thought that made so much sense. Bernard had the same comic timing as Bob Hartley did.

New England bound
At the dawn of the decade, Newhart appeared in two movies in 1980 – “Little Miss Marker”, with Julie Andrews, Walter Matthau, and Tony Curtis, and “First Family”, a comedy where he plays the President of the United States.

Then, in 1982, he took his sitcom show on the road to New England, playing a writer and innkeeper in Vermont in “Newhart”. It was a show that would run the rest of the decade.

Newhart played Dick Louden who wrote do-it-yourself and travel books. He and his wife Joanna, played by Mary Frann, move to rural Vermont to run the Stratford Inn. They are aided by handyman George Uttley, played by Tom Poston, and Leslie Vanderkellen, played by Jennifer Holmes. Next door is the Minuteman Café owned by compulsive liar Kirk Devane, played by Steven Kampmann. Leslie leaves after season one and is replaced by her cousin Stephanie, played by Julia Duffy. Dick goes on to host a local TV show, where his producer Michael Harris, played by Peter Scolari, gets together with Stephanie. The Loudens are periodically visited by three woodsmen – Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl. When Kirk leaves in the third season, the brothers buy the Minuteman and become regulars on the show.

“Newhart” is probably best known for its series finale. The world becomes increasingly illogical for Dick. Japanese developers build a golf course next to the inn and, when Dick refuses to sell, the course is built around him. As things grow more chaotic, Dick is hit in the head by an errant golf ball.

All the speculation leading up to the finale was that Dick would die and meet someone interesting in heaven.

When he comes to, he is in his bedroom – in Chicago. He looks around and wakes his wife. Instead of Joanna, it is Emily from “The Bob Newhart Show”. It turns out all of “Newhart” was a dream of Bob Hartley’s.

It was absolutely brilliant, and remains one of the most famous surprise endings in television history.

For his efforts, Newhart was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy TV series in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985. He was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

“Newhart” ran eight seasons, from 1982 to 1990, for a total of 184 episodes.

The years after
Bob Newhart kept on acting for decades. He had two more sitcoms that were not nearly as successful as his two previous ones. “Bob” ran for 33 episodes from 1992 to 1993, and “George and Leo” ran 22 episodes from 1997 to 1998. He also had guest appearances in “Murphy Brown”; “The Simpsons”; “Mad TV”; “Desperate Housewives”; “NCIS”; “Hot in Cleveland”; and more.

There was a memorable three-episode run in “ER”, which garnered him an Emmy nomination in 2004 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He also appeared in several movies and episodes of “The Librarians”, where he earned an Emmy nomination in 2009 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.

His best role may have been as former children’s science TV personality Professor Proton in “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon”. I remember one time he confronted Bill Nye “The Science Guy”, and had to say, “Back off bow tie!” It was brilliant.

Newhart won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013 for his role as Professor Proton in “The Big Bang Theory”, and was nominated again in 2014 and 2016.

He lent his voice to “The Rescuers Down Under” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie”; and appeared in movies such as “In and Out”; “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde”; “Elf”; ”Horrible Bosses”; and more.

Newhart has won three Grammys and been nominated twice more for his comedy albums. He won the Golden Globe for Best TV Star Male in 1962 for his first incarnation of “The Bob Newhart Show”, which bore little resemblance to the more famous one, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for that series as well.

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999.

Parting thoughts
I still remember where I was on May 21, 1990, when I saw the finale of “Newhart”. I was living in res at the University of Alberta in Edmonton going to summer school. I wasn’t paying much attention to television, but I had read the speculation about how “Newhart” was going to end. The night it was on, my floormate Tony Paradoski, had it on and invited me to watch.

I still remember how utterly surprised I was.

Nothing else can better capture, in one scene, the comic genius of Bob Newhart.

David Hasselhoff: From “Young and the Restless” to “Knight Rider” to “Baywatch”

David Hasselhoff in "Knight Rider".

Source: https://variety.com/2020/film/news/knight-rider-movie-james-wan-1234727825/

(May be subject to copyright)

It was quite the decade for David Hasselhoff. He started the ‘80s as a doctor on daytime television, then became one man making a difference going after people who thought they were above the law, and ended the decade as a lifeguard saving lives and mentoring the next generation.

“Young and the Restless”, “Knight Rider”, “Baywatch”. Depending on what place you were in your life David Hasselhoff may just come to mind when you see these shows.

It is his birthday today, offering a great chance to look back at Snapper, Michael, Mitch and more.

Snap your fingers
Periodically when I was young I would stay over night at my cousins Nina and Carl’s place in Lethbridge. Their mom, my Aunt Johanna, is my Mom’s younger sister. She worked nights so she was home days and ended up watching a lot of soap operas such as – “The Young and the Restless”.

One day, it must have been either summer or a school holiday, I was staying at their place and found myself alone upstairs. The adults were away, my uncle at work and my aunt likely running errands. The TV was on and I saw this guy beginning to choke. This woman with home was trying to help and called the equivalent of 911. They told her to form a fist and punch him in the back. She tried. Nothing happened. Then they talked her through an emergency tracheotomy. With blood everywhere and the tube inserted, another woman walked in, saw what happened, and screamed murder. I went downstairs and my cousin Carl was also watching a TV. He started punching the a pillow and said, “That’s how hard you had to punch him.”

That was my introduction to “The Young and the Restless”.

In that same episode, I saw a young doctor named “Snapper” Foster. He was played by David Hasselhoff, and that was my introduction to him as well. He would play “Snapper” for seven years, from 1975 to 1982.

Wikipedia reveals when “The Young and the Restless” started writing out many of the old characters, Hasselhoff left the show, just in time for a new opportunity.

Seeing him as “Snapper” Foster also prepared me for that next role I would see David Hasselhoff in.

One man can make a difference
In 1982, a new show debuted on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial. It featured a man and a computerized car battling the forces of evil and taking down those people who thought they were above the law. The mantra of the main character was one man can make a difference.

If memory serves, the commercials I saw really didn’t focus too much on the star of the show. It seemed to be kind of a mystery almost.

So, in the pilot for “Knight Rider”, the first part of the show focuses on police officer Michael Long who is shot in the face and ultimately left for dead.

He is rescued and nursed back to health. He undergoes plastic surgery and emerges as – David Hasselhoff.

Sure enough, my first thought was that I had seen him before. My sister pointed out that was the guy from “The Young and the Restless”.

Maybe that’s why there was kind of a flourish when Michael Knight’s face was unbandaged – like we were supposed to recognize him.

When it started, I anxiously waited each week to watch the next episode of “Knight Rider”, as it migrated from Channel 7 after its first season to Channel 13 for its final three seasons. As time went on, and I got older, I watched it less and less. I was getting into other things too, such as video games and computers, and science fiction and writing, and more.

Hasselhoff played Michael Knight from 1982 to 1986 for four seasons and 90 episodes. I own all four seasons on DVD as well.

It was not that long until David Hasselhoff resurfaced in series television, playing a role that would go on for decades.

To the beach
The reputation “Baywatch” has is that it is “babes on the beach”, more about looks than substance. I never got that impression when I watched the pilot.

I was home from university for a week in the summer of 1989. My parents were still living on the farm, so we still had access to just the three channels on the rural cable network.

One night, it must have been in May or June, before the end of the TV season, this TV movie was on called “Baywatch”.

I was surprised at how many recognizable stars they had, such as David Hasselhoff, Parker Stevenson, Richard Jaeckel, Billy Warlock, Monte Markham and more.

It was a great show, I thought. Hasselhoff played lifeguard Mitch Buchannon a leader and mentor. There were a number of story lines. The one I recall is this woman developing an unhealthy crush on Parker Stevenson’s character, eventually stalking him, and trying to kill him and his wife.

The show ended with Richard Jaeckel’s character, who was a legendary lifeguard, going to save someone and actually dying. The last scene of the show is his funeral at sea. It is followed by a montage of clips of lifeguards at work on the beach.

What was cool was that montage was set to a song by Bruce Horsnsby and the Range. In fact, the producers used more than one of Hornsby’s songs in the show. The music was all from the album “Scenes from the Southside”, which I had worn out playing over the previous year or so.

Interestingly, when I bought season one of “Baywatch” on DVD, there was only generic music, and not Hornsby’s songs.

That weekend, my sister came home for Sunday dinner. When I told her about “Baywatch”, she said when she was going to university in Victoria that year, she saw them filming “Baywatch” there.

I did not realize “Baywatch” was more than a movie. It was a pilot for a TV series.

That September, during the first week or so of university, I was part of student government. One of our tasks during that first week was to visit every floor in res and introduce ourselves. When we visited Second Kelsey, they were watching the “Baywatch” movie. When I mentioned I had seen it already, they said it was being re-run because it was kicking off its first season as a series.

“Baywatch” only ran one season on NBC, for 21 episodes, from 1989 to 1990.

As the decade ended, seemingly so did the dream of “Baywatch”, but that was not the case.

In fact, the show did not die, but was just catching its breath.

David Hasselhoff would play a major part in that, and so much more to this day.

The years after
Hasselhoff figured “Baywatch” had potential so, a year after it was cancelled, resurrected it for first-run syndication. “Baywatch” ended up running a total of 11 seasons, until its series finale in 2001, for a total of 241 episodes, spinoff series and movies.

Hasselhoff would go on to branch off into singing; as well as movies; the stage; as a judge on shows such as “America’s Got Talent” and “Britain’s Got Talent”; reality TV including his own show and “Dancing With the Stars”; and much more to this day.

In 1996, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Parting thoughts
David Hasselhoff set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on television. That is really not surprising to me since he may have been the most watched man on television in the ‘80s between “Young and the Restless”, “Knight Rider”; and “Baywatch”.

Barnard Hughes: “Mr. Merlin”, “The Cavanaughs”, “The Lost Boys” and more

Barnard Hughes starred in shows such as "Doc", "Mr. Merlin" and

"The Cavanaughs", and the movie "The Lost Boys".

Source: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0400464/

(May be subject to copyright)

What would it look like if Merlin the Magician was still alive all these years after he was part of King Arthur’s Court? Maybe he’d be an old man seeking an apprentice.

That was the premise of “Mr. Merlin”, a show that starred Barnard Hughes.

It was his birthday today and, once I saw his name, not only did “Mr. Merlin” come to mind, but a show where he played the cantankerous patriarch of an Irish-American family, and a movie where he knew much more about vampires then he let on.

Barnard Hughes had quite a career, and much of it was in the ‘80s.

What’s up?
My earliest memory of Barnard Hughes was in a sitcom called “Doc”, where he played a general practitioner who dealt with strange patients and his own, even stranger family.

“Doc” is at the outer fringes of my memory. All I can really recall is the opening credits with Barnard Hughes walking through the streets.

The show ran two seasons from August of 1975 to October of 1976, for a total of 29 episodes.

Magic man
The next time I saw Barnard Hughes was at my friend and neighbour Mike’s place in 1981. He and his brother were watching a show called “Mr. Merlin”. All I could think was, “That’s the guy who played that doctor.”

The show intrigued me, so I tuned in to “Mr. Merlin” the next week it was on Channel 9 on the peasant vision dial. Hughes played Max Merlin, a mechanic, who is actually the immortal wizard from King Arthur’s Court living in modern-day San Francisco. When I tuned in, he had an apprentice named Zac, played by Clark Brandon.

“Mr. Merlin” had been in the “TV Guide” fall preview, but I did not read the description. It took me seeing part of an episode to tune in, and I really liked it.

I finally found out why Zac was Mr. Merlin’s apprentice through Wikipedia. Merlin hired Zac to work at his garage. When Zac pulls a crowbar from a bucket of cement, the crowbar is actually Arthur’s sword Excalibur. Merlin must then reveal himself to Zac and make him an apprentice.

The other characters I recall are Leo, Zac’s best friend, played by Jonathan Prince, and Alexandria, played by Elaine Joyce. She is Merlin’s magical liaison with an unseen council, who insisted Merlin have an apprentice or lose his powers and immortality. I knew Elaine Joyce best from game shows, such as “Match Game”.

There is one episode I remember in particular. Zac finds this magic puzzle, kind of like the Rubik’s Cube, but you take it apart and put it back together. He and Leo want to use it as a money maker, because only people with magical powers can solve it. When Merlin finds out, he puts Zac and Leo's plan to a stop by actually solving the puzzle.

I really liked the show.

However, it lasted just one season from 1981 to 1982, for a total of 22 episodes.

Barnard Hughes would be back though, in another sitcom, which was much less fantasy and much more blue collar.

When Irish eyes are smiling
“The Cavanaughs” was a sitcom I stumbled on by accident one night on CBC Channel 9 on the peasant vision dial during Grade 12. Barnard Hughes stars as Pop Cavanaugh, a blue collar Irish Catholic living in Boston with his son Chuck, played by Peter Michael Goetz and his daughter Kit, played brilliantly by Christine Ebersole.

The show was funny, primarily because of the chemistry and conflict between Pop and his children. It debuted in December of 1986 and its first season ran to March of 1987. It went on an extended break, returning August of 1988 and running until July of 1989. It lasted two seasons for a total of 26 episodes. I also recall Art Carney playing Pop’s brother.

I cannot recall any particular scenes, but I do remember talking about the show with my dear friend David Perlich in our high school guidance counsellor’s office, where we hung out regularly.

Vampires everywhere
In the summer of 1987, I was done high school and getting ready to go off to university. One night in late July or early August, I went to this movie “The Lost Boys” that remains one of my favourites. Michael Emerson, played by Jason Patric, and his younger brother Sam, played by Corey Haim, move with their mother Lucy, played by Dianne Wiest, to their grandfather’s place in Santa Carla, California.

Grandpa is played by Barnard Hughes. He is eccentric and seems to do strange and non-sensical things, such as building a fence with wooden posts that come to a point. The family didn’t need that fence.

Soon, we discover the town is full of vampires who have Lucy and her boys in their sights. In the end, the head vampire, played brilliantly by Edward Herrmann, is closing in. During the climatic chase, one of those fences posts is plunged through his chest. A wooden stake through the heart kills a vampire.

With smoke and relief all around, grandpa remarks he loves the town except for all those vampires around.

Barnard Hughes was brilliant as grandpa.

The rest of the decade
Barnard Hughes was quite prolific through the ‘80s in screen and film.

He was in movies such as “First Monday in October”, in 1981, which starred Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh as battling Supreme Court justices; “Tron”, in 1982, as a computer programmer on the outside and a video game character on the inside; and “Best Friends”, also in 1982, opposite Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn;

Hughes was in a number of TV movies as well as episodes of “Tales from the Darkside”; “Hotel”; “The Love Boat”; “American Playhouse”; “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd”; and more.

The years before
Barnard Hughes got his start playing Bob Cratchit in a 1947 TV movie version of “A Christmas Carol”, and went from there.

He was on television in the soap operas “The Guiding Light” and “As The World Turns”; TV movies; and series such as “Route 66”; “Car 54, Where Are You?”; “Naked City”; “The Defenders”; “For the People”; “Dark Shadows”; “Cannon”; “Love Story”; three episodes of “All in the Family” as a Catholic priest who battled with Archie Bunker; “The Wide World of Mystery”; “Hawaii Five-O”; three episodes of “The Bob Newhart Show”, as Bob’s father; and more.

Hughes was also in one episode of “Lou Grant”, where he won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in Drama or Comedy Series for his portrayal of a senile judge.

He was in movies as well, such as “Midnight Cowboy”; “Cold Turkey”, where an entire town tries to quit smoking; “Oh, God!” opposite George Burns and John Denver; and more.

The years after
Barnard Hughes kept on acting for decades.

He appeared in movies such as “Doc Hollywood”; “Lincoln”; “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit”; “The Odd Couple II”, where he was the old man who gave a ride to Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon; “Cradle Will Rock”; “The Fantasticks”; and more.

His last role was in 2004 in the video “The Lost Boys: The Lost Scenes”.

Hughes also appeared on TV in 52 episodes of “Blossom” as the title character’s maternal grandfather; “The Marshal”; “Homicide: Life on the Street”; and “Deadline”, in 2000, which was his last television appearance.

Barnard Hughes died in 2006 five days short of his 91st birthday.

Parting thoughts
Whenever I think of Barnard Hughes, I cannot help but think “Grumpy old man”, because he seemed at his best playing that role in “Mr. Merlin”, “The Cavanaughs”, and “The Lost Boys”.

Yet, he also brought a sensitivity and understanding to the roles he played.

He was a great actor who, like fine win, seemed to get better with age.

James Sikking: Hill Street Blues to Doogie Howser, M.D. and more

James B. Sikking as Sergeant Howard Hunter in "Hill Street Blues".

Source: https://www.tvline.com/news/james-b-sikking-dead-cause-of-

death-hill-street-blues-obituary-1235282439/

(May be subject to copyright)

He was the one who introduced me to the term “Judas Priest” as a swear word, back in the early 1980s. At the time, James B. Sikking was playing Howard Hunter, the pipe chomping head of the SWAT unit on “Hill Street Blues”. Using that phrase was how he showed emotion.

Before the end of the decade, he would move on to another role, this one as the father of a child prodigy turned doctor.

I was sad to hear today that James B. Sikking had died, but it reminded me of those two roles and more.

He was 90 years old.

The years before
James B. Sikking, and the “B” stands for Barrie, began his career in film with an uncredited role in “Five Guns West”. He had his first credited role in 1964 in “The Strangler”. He had several uncredited roles then would also appear in movies such as “The Magnificent Seven Ride!”; “Scorpio”; “Capricorn One”; “The Electric Horseman”; and others.

He had a lot more work in television, starting with a guest role in “Perry Mason” in 1961, then appearing in “Combat!”; “Rawhide”; “The Outer Limits”; “The Loner”; “The Long, Hot Summer”; “The Virginian”; “My Favorite Martian”; “My Mother the Car”; “The Fugitive”; “The Invaders”; “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”; “Bonanza”; “Adam-12”; and “The Survivors”.

In the 1970s, he was in “The Young Lawyers”; “Love, American Style”; “Hogan’s Heroes”; “The Bold Ones: The New Doctors”; “Night Gallery”; “Ironside”; “Longstreet”; “Mission: Impossible”; “The Bob Newhart Show”; “Banyon”; “Room 222”; “M*A*S*H”; “The Streets of San Francisco”; “The Mod Squad”; “The Rookies”; “Mannix”; “Columbo”; “The F.B.I.”; “Cannon”; “Ellery Queen”; “Police Story”; “Little House on the Prairie”; “Delvecchio”; “Eight is Enough”; “The Feather and Father Gang”; “Man from Atlantis”; “Rafferty”; “Starsky and Hutch”; “The Bionic Woman”; “The Incredible Hulk”; “Operation Petticoat”; “The Rockford Files”; “Lucan”; “Hawaii Five-O”; “Charlie’s Angels”; “The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo”; and “Paris”.

He was also in the miniseries “A Woman Called Moses” and “Rich Man, Poor Man – Book II”; and television movies such as “The Astronaut”; “Family Flight”; “Coffee, Tea or Me?”; “The Six Million Dollar Man: The Solid Gold Kidnapping”; “The President’s Plane is Missing”; “Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy”.

Sikking also played surgeon Jim Hobart on the soap opera “General Hospital”; and Geoffrey St. James on the comedy series “Turnabout” in 1979, about a husband and wife inhabiting each other’s bodies.

His life changed in 1981 when Steven Bochco cast him as a SWAT team leader in a new police drama he was creating.

Hill Street Blues
Bochco was groundbreaking with his work on “Hill Street Blues”. The writing, photography, and characters earned it Emmy awards from the pilot episode on.

James B. Sikking was cast as Sergeant Howard Hunter who was later promoted to lieutenant. The website www.writeups.org describes Hunter in detail, writing he seems to have a military background and mentioned being in Vietnam. He prefers offensive tactics and is known to eagerly attack perpetrators. He is clumsy; an eloquent speaker who uses slang and odd metaphors, such as “Judas Priest”; likes referring to people by their last names; and likes using high-tech weaponry or vehicles. Hunter also takes great care filling and smoking his pipe.

Wikipedia reveals Sikking stated his Howard Hunter character was based on one of his drill sergeants from basic training at Fort Bragg when Sikking was in the army.

“Hill Street Blues” ran from January of 1981 to May of 1987 for seven seasons and a total of 146 episodes.

For his efforts, Sikking was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1984.

Coming to Lethbridge
“Hill Street Blues” aired on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial. The station had affiliates in Lethbridge and Calgary, so they would work together and bring celebrities to the area from shows that aired on Channel 7.

One year, James B. Sikking came to Lethbridge for Whoop-Up Days and, if memory serves, taped a commercial in the character of Howard Hunter, with his pipe, stating “Judas Priest that’s a good station”, or something like that.

He definitely used the words "Judas Priest" though.

Next up
Steven Bochco was one of those writers, directors, and producers who had a stable of actors that appeared in various productions. James B. Sikking was one of Steven Bochco’s actors, just like Dennis Franz, Barbara Bosson, and Jimmy Smits.

So, it wasn’t long before Sikking was back on television, in another series created by Steven Bochco.

James B. Sikking, at right, as Dr. David Howser with

Neil Patrick Harris, the title character in "Doogie Howser, M.D.".

Source: https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/

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Child prodigy
“Doogie Howser, M.D.”, came out in September of 1989, starring a very young Neil Patrick Harris as Douglas “Doogie” Howser, a child prodigy who becomes a doctor. James B. Sikking played Dr. David Howser, Doogie’s dad.

His role as David Howser was much more thoughtful, measured and respectful, than Howard Hunter. David Howser is a Vietnam War MASH veteran with a family practice. He discovered suspicious bruising on Doogie which led to a leukemia diagnosis that saved Doogie’s life. It also inspired Doogie to become a doctor.

I did not start watching “Doogie Howser, M.D.” until the summer of 1991 when I came home from university after three full years away. I liked the show, and one of the best relationships was between David and his son. David was the sage veteran doctor who Doogie went to for advice, often advising his son on matters more about people than prescriptions and diagnosis.

One episode I recall had Doogie stumped by a patient. He could not figure out what was wrong. He talked to his dad who advised Doogie to just chat with his patient. When Doogie did, he discovered she did pottery. That lead to him discovering the glaze on her pots was making her sick.

“Doogie Howser, M.D.” ran from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons and a total of 97 episodes.

The rest of the decade
James B. Sikking did a lot of other work in the ‘80s. He was in movies such as “Ordinary People” and “The Competition” in 1980; “The Star Chamber”, in 1983; “Morons from Outer Space” in 1985; and “Soul Man”, in 1986.

He was also on TV in a guest spot on “L.A. Law”, another Bochco production; some miniseries; and several television movies, such as “The Final Days”, in 1989, about the last days of the Richard Nixon presidency.

Out in space
Sikking was also in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” in 1984, playing the captain of the ship set to replace the Enterprise when Captain Kirk and company stole it. He looked down his nose at the Enterprise scoffing that it could not out-run his ship the Excelsior and its new trans-warp drive. However, when he goes to pursue the Enterprise, and engage the new drive, it stalls. It turns out Scotty had removed some key components. Once more, Captain Kirk had outsmarted his opponent. 

The years after
James B. Sikking kept on acting on TV and in films.

He was in the movies “Narrow Margin”; “Final Approach”; “The Pelican Brief”; “Fever Pitch”; “Made of Honor”; and “Just an American” in 2012, which was his last role.

He was also in “Cop Rock”, another Bochco production; and TV movies such as “Doing Time on Maple Drive” in 1992, which was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie; “In Pursuit of Honor”, as Douglas MacArthur; and “Tyson”; “Brooklyn South”, for 22 episodes; and voice work in a number of productions.

His television last role was in “The Closer” in 2012.

Parting thoughts
I never saw a lot of episodes of “Hill Street Blues”, something I should rectify. Of the few I did see, my outstanding memories of Howard Hunter are running the SWAT team, sporting that pipe, speaking slowly and deliberately in sometimes indecipherable English, and getting ready to attack.

I did see a lot of episodes of “Doogie Howser, M.D.”. Doogie’s parents, including his mom played by Belinda Montgomery, played a prominent role. What I recall most about Sikking’s portrayal of David Howser was that he was really the only one who referred to his son as Douglas. He was also, for the lack of a better word, very fatherly.

Sikking was also the one who watched as Kirk and company stole the Enterprise while he stood by helplessly on his state-of-the-art ship because Scotty had disabled its brand new trans-warp drive.

It just shows how talented James B. Sikking was, from “Hill Street Blues” to “Doogie Howser, M.D.” and beyond.

Out of Nowhere: "Oh Sheila" by Ready for the World

It’s not really that Ready for the World came out of nowhere when their single “Oh Sheila” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

It’s that I had never heard of them, nor heard the song, when I discovered one day watching “Entertainment Tonight” that “Oh Sheila” had topped the charts for that week.

That all came back to me this morning when, as I was sipping my morning coffee, I heard “Oh Sheila” on “Stingray Remember the ‘80s” coming from my TV.

The hits
By the Fall of 1985, I had really been into music for over a year. That summer, and into early Fall, there were a lot of songs receiving a lot of airplay on the radio and video shows. It was pretty clear who was going to hit the top of the charts, just by virtue of staying power, quality, and all that airplay.

I was taking Accounting 30 in the first semester of Grade 11. We had a big project we were given a lot of time to complete, so while we worked, we talked a lot.

One of the subjects was music, and the songs of the day.

Again, those same songs kept coming up, and they did go to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

There was “Separate Lives” by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin from the movie “White Nights”. At the time, everything Phil Collins released whether solo or with someone else, went to number one. There was “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie, which was also from the movie “White Nights”. There was “Broken Wings”, by a new band on the scene called Mr. Mister. And, probably the biggest ear worm of them all, the song that seemed to be on all the time was “We Built This City” by Starship. One of my classmates even came up with a parody of the song, although it is too rude to mention here.

Over time, all these songs did hit number one, as expected, often following each other up the charts.

New kid on the block
Then, one day, I was watching “Entertainment Tonight”, which often announced the top single on the Billboard Hot 100 for that week.

Mary Hart and Robb Weller said that week’s number one song was “Oh Sheila” by Ready for the World. It was the week of October 12, 1985.

I listened to the radio a lot, and honestly had never heard of that song. I couldn’t even imagine a song with those words in it.

It made me wonder if the charts were different or a week behind or something. I found that highly unlikely though. The chart toppers I watched on “Entertainment Tonight”, and heard on CKXL radio from Calgary, matched up every single week.

Obviously, the song was either not getting much play on 1090 CHEC broadcasting from Lethbridge, or it just got a lot more play in the States.

It remains a mystery to me.

Turn up the radio
That all changed pretty quickly. Shortly after learning “Oh Sheila” topped the charts, I heard it for the first time on the radio. It was on the school bus while going home from school one day.

It was obviously the song “Entertainment Tonight” had mentioned because the phrase “Oh Sheila” featured prominently in the chorus.

Parting thoughts
When I heard “Oh Sheila” this morning, I sang along with the song like I often do. It obviously meant I heard the song enough times to internalize the words and the music.

Yet, I still have this memory that “Oh Sheila” came out of nowhere and then was number one, which obviously is just not the case.

I still can’t figure it out.

Richard Simmons: Providing the gift of health

Exercise and health advocate Richard Simmons.

Source: https://wwd.com/pop-culture/celebrity-news/gallery/

richard-simmons-fitness-outfits-photos-1236140125/richard-simmons-portrait-session-2/

(May be subject to copyright)

A few months ago, I made a note that I really needed to write about Richard Simmons. He was another one of the characters from the 1980s that defies description.

He was not an actor, writer, musician, or entertainer. He was more a force of nature, dragging many into the fitness craze of the decade.

Simmons was energetic and charismatic, inspiring thousands to get moving to lose weight and get fit.

Sadly, I heard today he had passed away, moving Richard Simmons to the top of the list.

He was just 76 years of age.

As seen on TV
“Real People” was a television show that run from 1979 to 1984, hosted initially by Skip Stephenson, Sarah Purcell, Canadian John Barbour, Byron Allen and Bill Rafferty. It featured segments on a wide variety of topics from the Rubik’s Cube and a man who could speak backwards, to Terry Fox running across Canada in his Marathon of Hope for cancer research.

The first time I ever saw Richard Simmons was on “Real People”. I remember him being so full of energy and so flamboyant. On the show, he was initially at his gym where viewers met his customers who had lost weight through a combination of diet and exercise. He talked about people’s hearts being covered in chips and cookies from eating all this bad food, and how that could stop.

He was living proof of the message he was delivering, because he himself lost more than 120 pounds, and kept it off.

Richard Simmons would go on to have his own series, “The Richard Simmons Show” which aired from 1980 to 1984. I often heard about it, and saw clips of him leading aerobics, but don’t recall ever seeing it air on peasant vision.

He would also make appearances on game shows, talk shows, television series such as a season one episode of Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories” in 1986, and even the soap opera “General Hospital”, usually just playing himself.

Parting thoughts
Richard Simmons continued to promote health and exercise for decades. He made his last pubic appearance in 2014.

He is another one of those personalities from the ‘80s who defied description really. Simmons raised so much awareness about health, and especially fitness, at a time when media were becoming much more accessible.

He said he had a lot to give people.

The biggest gift Richard Simmons gave was their health.

Paul Newman: Great actor, better person

Paul Newman as lawyer Frank Galvin in the 1982 film "The Verdict".

Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/revisiting-sidney-lumets-the-verdict

(May be subject to copyright)

“This is the case, there is no other case. This is the case, there is no other case.”

There sat lawyer Frank Galvin, psyching himself up to go into court. He was set to do battle against a battery of lawyers representing, if you can imagine, the Roman Catholic Church in a wrongful death suit. Battling alcohol and other demons, it was make or break, not only for his career but his life.

Paul Newman played Frank Galvin in “The Verdict”, and would be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for his work.

It is my favourite Paul Newman film, but one of many outstanding efforts from the ‘80s and beyond.

The years before
Paul Newman got his start in movies in 1954 wih a role in “The Silver Chalice” in 1954. He played boxer Rocky Graziano in “Somebody Up There Likes Me” in 1956, which became his breakthrough role. He also appeared in “The Rack” in 1956, winning the Golden Globe that year for New Star of the Year Actor, and was in “The Helen Morgan Story” and “Until They Sail” in 1957.

Newman’s career reached the next level in 1958. He starred in “The Long, Hot Summer”, winning Best Actor at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for his starring role in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. He also played Billy the Kid in “The Left Handed Gun” and was in “Rally Round the Flag Boys”.

He went on to star in “The Young Philadelphians” in 1959, and “From the Terrace” and “Exodus” in 1960.

In 1961, he was in another iconic movie, playing pool player “Fast” Eddie Felson who takes on a legendary champion played by Jackie Gleason. The role earned Newman his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor Drama. He would reprise the role 25 years later. He also starred in “Paris Blues”.

In 1962, he was in “Sweet Bird of Youth”, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor Drama, and “Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man”, where he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Another great role came along in 1963 in “Hud” where Newman played the title character doing battle with his son over the future of their ranch. “Hud” garnered Newman his third Oscar nomination for Best Actor as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor Drama. He was also in “A New Kind of Love” and “The Prize”.

In 1964, he was in “What a Way to Go!” and “The Outrage”, then “Lady L” in 1965.

Then, in 1966, he starred in the first Paul Newman movie I ever rented on video.

Private eye
When I was about 12, I started really getting interested in spy and private detective novels and movies. That’s when I discovered, through a variety of sources, Ian Fleming’s James Bond, Donald Hamilton’s Matt Helm, John D. McDonald’s Travis McGhee, Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, and more.

While I was in Brooks with my cousins one summer, I read about a private detective named Lew Archer, written by Ross McDonald, and how he had been played in the movies by Paul Newman. However, the name was changed to Lew Harper, because Newman had a great deal of luck with “H” movies, earning Oscar nominations for “The Hustler” and “Hud”.

I was staying with my sister in Lethbridge one night, and we decided to rent a movie. This would have been in 1983 or 1984. We ended up renting “Harper”. The scene I will always remember is when Harper wakes up and goes to put on coffee, he discovers he is out of grounds. He looks in the trash and sees a previous day’s filter and grounds. He looks at them, looks up, and scratches his head. In the next scene, he takes a sip of coffee and winces. It was pretty funny.

More pre-history
Newman was also in “Torn Curtain” in 1966, a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, about an American scientist, played by Newman, who appears to defect to the other side.

He started 1967 in “Hombre”. Later that year he was in “Cool Hand Luke”, playing a prisoner in a Florida prison camp. The role earned Newman his fourth Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor Drama.

In 1968 he was in “The Secret War of Harry Frigg”, then the car racing movie “Winning” in 1969. That same year another iconic role came calling.

Outlaws
In 1969, Newman teamed up with Robert Redford for the first time in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. Based on actual historical characters, they play outlaws fleeing a posse after a string of robberies. Newman plays Butch Cassidy who, in real life, lived and worked part of his life in High River, not far from where I live.

This is another in a string of movies I watched as a child where I saw the first part, then fell asleep, and to this day have never seen all of.

The movie was a hit. It is also well known for the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head”, by B.J. Thomas.

Much more pre-history
Newman started a new decade with “WUSA” in 1970, “Sometimes a Great Notion” in 1971, and “Pocket Money” in 1972.

In 1972, he was also in “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean”. This movie always seemed to be on Channel 13 of the peasant vision dial when I was growing up. For whatever reason, I always mixed it up with “Hud”, thinking “Hud” was a western. In “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean”, Newman plays the title character, an outlaw who appoints himself a judge in a lawless town in the Wild West.

Newman was in the spy thriller “The Mackintosh Man” in 1973, then another iconic role came calling.

Con men
The chemistry between Newman and Redford was undeniable in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, so they teamed up again in 1973. This time they play con men in “The Sting”, out to fleece a mobster and gain a measure of revenge at the same time. Redford plays small-time grifter Johnny Hooker who, with his partner Luther, fleeces the wrong guy. It turns out their big score is mob money, and the mobster sends his boys after Luther and Hooker. Luther gets killed, Hooker escapes, and vows revenge. He ends up seeking out Henry Gondorff, a legendary con man, to help him out.

The scene we first see Gondorff is priceless. Hooker goes into his room and sees him passed out, his face pressed against a wall, snoring.

“The great Henry Gondorff,” Hooker mutters.

It is an amazing movie I love as much as “The Verdict”. This was yet another movie I saw as a kid a few times, but always fell asleep part way through. “The Sting” was different though because, at Christmas time of 1997, I rented it with my friends Chris Vining and Corinne Zimmerman and watched it beginning to end. I have seen it a few other times since.

Redford was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor and Wikipedia reveals it rekindled Newman’s career after “a series of big-screen” flops.

Even more pre-history
In 1974, Newman was in the disaster pic “The Towering Inferno”. It focuses on a group of people trying to escape a high-rise building on fire. Newman plays the architect who designed the building.

He reprised his role as Lew Harper in “The Drowning Pool” in 1975; made a cameo as himself in “Mel Brooks’ “Silent Movie” in 1976; played Buffalo Bill Cody in “Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson”, also in 1976; and closed out the decade in 1979 with the post-apocalyptic science fiction film “Quintet”.

He also had another iconic role in 1977.

Goon hockey
It is a cult classic for a lot of hockey fans. In 1977, Paul Newman strapped on some blades to play Reg Dunlop, the player-coach of the Charlestown Chiefs, a hockey team in the Federal League in “Slap Shot”. With the town’s steel mill closing, layoffs looming, the team playing poorly, and fans growing increasingly hostile, Dunlop resorts to more goon hockey. He is aided in his endeavours by the Chiefs’ latest acquisition, the brawling Hanson brothers.

I always wanted to see this movie when I was young. My brother left behind the book when he went off to college. I read about half and wanted to see the movie. I waited and waited and waited. A year or so later it was on TV and I watched the first half hour or so when – my Mom made me go to bed. She said I could watch it another time. She didn’t understand, it wasn’t like it was on regularly. I actually heard how it ended from my sister the next day. It is funny looking back, because in today’s world of the Internet, on-demand and streaming services, I bet it would take five minutes to find “Slap Shot”.

Anyway, it was another great role for Newman, as he headed into his fourth decade of films, which would bring even more success.

Dawn of the decade
The 1980s began for Paul Newman with a role opposite William Holden and Jacqueline Bisset, in “When Time Ran Out…”, a disaster film in 1980 about a volcano threatening a Pacific Island resort.

In 1981, he was in “Fort Apache, The Bronx”, playing a veteran cop with a young partner, played by Ken Wahl. They were working in a rough part of the Bronx, when a new police captain arrives, played by Ed Asner.

Then, Newman began another string of movies that pretty much closed out the decade.

Absence of Malice
Newman played liquor wholesaler Michael Gallagher in “Absence of Malice” in 1981. He is the subject of a news story written by journalist Megan Carter, played by Sally Field, claiming he is under investigation for the disappearance of a union official. The story was leaked to Carter by an unscrupulous federal prosecutor seeking to get information from Gallagher.

Absence of malice is a concept used by journalists to show the conflict between disclosing damaging personal information and the public’s right to know.

My brother got the original pay TV around this time, and began to tape movies from one of the movie channels. One of the tapes he lent me had “Absence of Malice” on it. I recall watching it and loving it. There is undeniable chemistry between Newman and Sally Field too. Little did I know that almost 20 years later I would be studying this very concept when I went to journalism school.

The role earned Newman his fifth Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The Verdict
I was home sick from school one day in 1982, when I first heard about “The Verdict” on “Canada AM”. Host Norm Perry was talking to a film critic about Paul Newman’s latest film and how this role might finally earn the Best Actor Oscar that eluded him.

It tells the story of Frank Galvin, a struggling, alcoholic lawyer who is given a sure-thing, no-lose case by his former partner. It is a malpractice suit against the Catholic Church and, as Galvin discovers, is no sure thing as the church has hired a team of highly-skilled lawyers. Initially, he seems to just be going through the motions, but when he meets the victims, he becomes committed to the cause.

Newman is absolutely amazing in this role, going from listless and uninterested, to the crusading passionate lawyer he obviously was in earlier years. He has always had this talent for wearing his emotions on his face, and that skill is on full display in this movie.

“The Verdict” ultimately did earn Newman his sixth Oscar nomination for Best Actor, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor Drama.

Oscar comes calling
Newman followed up “The Verdict” with “Harry and Son” in 1984. The film focused on a worker, played by Newman, and his relationship with his son, played by Robby Benson.

That year he was also awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.

Around that time, there was also a lot of talk about how Newman never won an Oscar and it was his time. Consequently, in 1986 he was awarded an Honourary Oscar celebrating achievements not covered by existing Academy Awards. To some it seemed like a consolation prize, or an admission Newman would never win the Best Actor Oscar.

That same year, 1986, Newman reprised his role as “Fast Eddie” Felson in “The Color of Money”, a sequel to “The Hustler”. He starred opposite Tom Cruise.

Paul Newman would finally win that coveted award, winning the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in “The Color of Money”. He was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor Drama.

End of the decade
Newman closed out the 1980s with two more solid movies. He played General Leslie Groves, the military liaison for the Manhattan Project in “Fat Man and Little Boy” in 1989. It is the same character Matt Damon played in last year’s “Oppenheimer”. Also in 1989, he played Governor Earl K. Long, a politician who falls in love with a stripper, in “Blaze”.

The years after
Paul Newman kept right on working in the succeeding decades. He was in movies such as “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge”; “The Hudsucker Proxy”; and “Nobody’s Fool”.

I saw “Nobody’s Fool” in 1994 in the theatre with my friend Richard Ellis. There is one scene that stands out for me. Newman plays Sully, a man with a complicated life. He regularly hits on this waitress played by Melanie Griffin. Feeling really sad one night, he asks her if she wants to go back to his place.

She finally agrees.

“Don’t you have any pride?” he asks. It was hilarious.

Newman earned his seventh Oscar nomination for Best Actor for that role as Donald Sullivan, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor Drama.

He was also in “Twilight”; “Message in a Bottle”; “Where the Money Is”; and “Road to Perdition”, which was his last live acting role. He earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor, both for “Road to Perdition”.

In “Message in a Bottle”, he played Dodge Blake, father of grieving widower Garrett Blake, played by Kevin Costner. Newman is awesome as Costner’s dad, charming and stern, but loving and supportive. They also had great on-screen chemistry.

After that Newman lent his voice to various productions as a character and a narrator. 

He got more into television as well. Newman appeared in a production of “Our Town” in 2003; and the HBO miniseries “Empire Falls” in 2005. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor Television in 2005 for “Empire Falls”.

He did a great deal of producing and directing dating back to the ‘60s. He is work included “Rachel, Rachel”, for which he won the Golden Globe for Best Director in 1968; many of the movies he starred in; “The Shadow Box”, for which he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special in 1980; “The Glass Menagerie”; and “Empire Falls”, where he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries.

He also had a number of other interests, including Newman’s Own food products, such as salad dressing, where proceeds went to charity; and race car driving, where he won several national championships in Sports Car Club of America road racing.

In 1994, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars; and that same year was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Paul Newman died on September 26, 2008.

He was 83 years old.

Parting thoughts
It is hard to fathom the career of Paul Newman. He had so many great movies, amazing roles, and outstanding moments. He has always been my favourite, and I distinctly remember mourning his death back in 2008.

Yet as I read more about him, I was taken aback at what kind of a person he was too. There are dozens and dozens of causes he has supported over the years. In one year alone, he donated more than $20 million to charity, and was voted the most generous celebrity.

Some people assume actors are exactly like the people they play on screen, while others assume they are the exact opposite. Some also assume actors are selfish, and self-absorbed.

Well, Paul Newman seemed to be one of those actors who was kind, generous and supportive of so many people in need.

It shows, as great an actor as he was, he was an even better human being.

Shelley Duvall: Remembering Olive Oyl and more

Shelley Duvall in the 1980 film "Popeye".

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHjfqs3R04T/

(May be subject to copyright)

It is always interesting to see what happens when a cartoon is brought to life in a live-action production. We all see the drawing on the screen, but invariably we have different interpretations of what the actor who plays the character should look like.

I was very curious when I heard “Popeye” was coming to life as a live-action movie. When I saw Robin Williams as the title character, I wasn’t so sure he was the right choice. The hair colour and style was different, the forearms looked off, and even the can of spinach was under stated.

The same could not be said of Shelley Duvall, who I thought was the perfect choice to bring Olive Oyl to life.

I heard today that Shelley Duvall had died, and all the tributes that came pouring in focused on her performance in the horror thriller “The Shining”.

Yet, for me, it always starts with her work in “Popeye”.

The early years
Shelley Duvall got her start in movies in 1970 with “Brewster McCloud”, then was in “McCabe and Mrs. Miller’; “Thieves Like Us”; “Nashville”; “Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson”; “3 Women”; and “Annie Hall”.

Meanwhile, she was also appearing on TV in shows such as “Cannon”; “Love, American Style”; “Baretta”; the television movie “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”; and “Saturday Night Live”.

As the calendar flipped to the ‘80s, Shelley Duvall hit the decade running with two of her biggest roles.

The decade
The year 1980 began with Duvall playing Wendy Torrance, wife of the possessed Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, in “The Shining”. Later that year, she breathed life into the cartoon character Olive Oyl, Popeye’s love interest in “Popeye”. Critic Roger Ebert said Duvall was born to play Olive Oyl.

She went on to have roles in “Time Bandits”, in 1981; “Frankenweenie”, in 1984 and “Roxanne” in 1987.

Duvall also did a lot of work on television. She created and hosted “Faerie Tale Theatre” from 1982 to 1987, for a total of 27 episodes. Of those, 25 were re-told classic fairy tales, one was based on the poem “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”, and the last episode was a reunion special. Duvall starred in the episodes “Rumpelstiltskin”; “Rapunzel”; “The Nightingale”; “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”; “Puss in Boots”; and “Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp”.

She created and produced a similar show from 1985 to 1987 called “Tall Tales and Legends” for nine episodes, garnering her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children’s Program in 1988. She also appeared in a 1986 episode of “The Twilight Zone”, produced and starred in the TV movie “Frog” in 1987; and produced a horror anthology series called “Nightmare Classics” in 1989.

The years after
Duvall kept on in both film and television for the next two decades. She appeared in movies such as “Suburban Commando”; “The Underneath”; “The Portrait of a Lady”; “Tale of the Mummy”; “Casper Meets Wendy”; “Home Fries”; “The 4th Floor”; “Boltneck”; and “Manna from Heaven”.

She took a 20-year break from movies before appearing in “The Forest Hills” in 2023, her final film role. It was revealed she had been working on her mental health, and those private challenges were made public when she appeared on “Dr. Phil” in 2016.

She was much more prolific on television, appearing in the TV movies “Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme”; and “Frogs!”; producing television movies and specials, such as “Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories”, which ran 14 episodes and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program; and appearing in episodes of “The Ray Bradbury Theater”; “L.A. Law”; “Frasier”; “The Adventures of Shirley Holmes”, for which she was nominated for a Gemini for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series; “Maggie Winters”; “Wishbone”; and “The Hughleys”.

Shelley Duval died on July 11, 2024 from complications due to diabetes.

She was 75 years old.

It’s relative
The question I always had when I was young was – are Shelley Duvall and Robert Duvall related?

No.

Parting thoughts
It seems from her body of work that Shelley Duvall's main interests were fairy tales and cartoons, and horror movies. Virtually all of her work is in those two areas, and I think that is really cool.

She brought life to classic fairy tales, as well as cartoons, and horror stories of all kinds.

Yet to many, she will be known for that role in “The Shining”.

For me, I will always think of Olive Oyl.

I agree with Roger Ebert – Shelley Duvall was born to play Olive Oyl.