Jon Cryer: Getting started in the ‘80s

Jon Cryer in his iconic role as the "Duck Man" in the film "Pretty in Pink" in 1986.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/moviecritic/comments/1clll9l/lets_talk_pretty_in_pink_and_the_elephant_in_the/

(May be subject to copyright)

A few years ago I was watching “The Gilmore Girls” and Lorelai Gilmore was called in to save a teenage girl’s birthday party. She gave them all kinds of stuff to do and introduced them to a movie she loved when she was their age starring a legend named Molly Ringwald. As it was about to start she said, “And yes, that is the guy from ‘Two and a Half’ Men.”

The screen faded to black then “Pretty in Pink” started.

“That guy” was Jon Cryer.

It is his birthday today, and it reminded me of his role as a lovable loser, a witness hiding out in high school, and much more.

The Duck Man
John Hughes had begun to make a name for himself as the voice of the teen generation after his successes with “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club”.

The third movie in what I call Hughes’ tetralogy was “Pretty in Pink” which came out in 1986. Molly Ringwald plays, Andie Walsh, a girl who does not fit in with the cool crowd at school, but has built a neat life with her own friends and job at a record store.

Perhaps her best friend is the eccentric Philip F. “Duckie” Dale, played by Jon Cryer. Also called the “Duck Man”, he has feelings for Andie, but does not know how to express them. I could totally relate to that role.

Cryer was amazing as “Duckie”.

In hiding
A year later, Cryer was back on the silver screen in “Hiding Out”. He plays a stock broker on the run from a hit man, who hides out as a high school student. Again he was excellent in the role.

I remember watching that movie in the summer of 1988. I had a card for a number of free movie rentals from Baker’s Appliances who sold us my VCR. So, my sister would grab a movie on her way out to visit us on Sundays. We’d watch the movie then she’d return it when she went home.

The rest of the decade
Jon Cryer was really just getting started in the ‘80s. He also appeared on TV in an episode of “Amazing Stories” in 1986; and was the title character Teddy Zakalokis in “The Famous Teddy Z” for 20 episodes in the 1989-1990 season.

He also appeared on the big screen in the lead in “No Small Affair” in 1984. He also had small parts in “Noon Wine” and “O.C. and Stiggs” both in 1985; “Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home” in the title role in 1986; “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” and “Dudes”, both in 1987; and “Penn and Teller get Killed” in 1989.

The years after
Jon Cryer continues to act to this day. By far his most successful role was 262 episodes as Alan Harper in “Two and a Half Men” from 2003 to 2015. He won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009, and was nominated for that award in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. He also won an Emmy in the role for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012.

He appeared in the series “Partners” for 22 episodes; “The Outer Limits”; “Dharma and Greg”; “Getting Personal” for 17 episodes; “Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place”; “The Trouble with Normal” for 13 episodes; “Family Guy”; “The Practice”; “Becker”; “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”; “Hannah Montana”; “Husbands”; “Mom”; “NCIS” for three episodes; “The Ranch”; “Will and Grace” and much more.

Cryer appeared in 20 episodes of “Supergirl” as Lex Luthor, and reprised that role in crossover episodes of “Arrow”; “The Flash”; “Batwoman”; and “Legends of Tomorrow”.

He also appeared in a number of Theatrical releases, most notably “Hot Shots!” in 1991. He played opposite Charlie Sheen who would be his long-time co-star in “Two and a Half Men.”

Parting thoughts
Jon Cryer’s performance in “Pretty in Pink” is iconic of teen angst films. “Duckie” is eccentric and hard to take seriously, until he is, then his performance is heartbreaking.

Following that up with “Hiding Out” where he is an accountant who has to pretend to be a teenager, just adds to that reputation.

Then, it seemed he was just gone. He made a number of TV series, some critically acclaimed and some panned by critics, but none had any staying power.

Then along came “Two and a Half Men” and the role of Alan Harper. Jon Cryer was the only actor who appeared in every episode of the show. It showed, because he was nominated for an Emmy for that role seven straight years, and won twice.

I read Jon Cryer’s autobiography a few years ago, and it gave me real insight into his life.

It also showed that his career was really just starting in the’80s.

H was building the foundation for all that great work to come.

The Rolling Stones in the ‘80s

The cover of the Rolling Stones' 1986 album "Dirty Work.".

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Work_%28Rolling_Stones_album%29

(May be subject to copyright)

In junior high, when all the girls were going crazy over Duran Duran and Culture Club, one of my classmates, a friend and neighbour named Mike, maintained they weren’t as good as “The Stones”, a band his older siblings had introduced him to.

“O yeah,” one of the girls challenged. “I’ll bet you can’t name more than one of their songs.”

He paused for just a split second.

“Satisfaction.” “Let’s Spend the Night Together”. “Ruby Tuesday”.

Then he added for good measure that the Stones changed the name of “Let’s Spend the Night Together” to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” when they appeared on American TV.

That was my introduction to “The Rolling Stones”.

A couple days ago I was cleaning the house, had “Stingray Remember the ‘80s” on in the background and discovered “Emotional Rescue” was actually released in the ‘80s.

It reminded me of a time when I was just discovering a band that I have come to prefer over “The Beatles”, by a long shot.

Dawn of the decade
The Rolling Stones were already mega super stars by the time the ‘80s came.

Interestingly, their first single of the decade was “Emotional Rescue”, which came out in 1980 and went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. That was followed up later in 1980 with “She’s So Cold”, which peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Those two songs both came off the album “Emotional Rescue”.

In 1981, they released “Start Me Up” from the album “Tattoo You”, which went all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. They also charted with “Waiting on a Friend” at number 13 and “Hang Fire” at number 20.

At the time, we were in Red Rooster in Coaldale one day. It was one of the places where I bought hockey cards. It was off hockey season, but I always looked on the shelf for something different. On this day, they were selling little mini record albums. Inside was a piece of that same kind of hockey card gum, but it was in the shape of a vinyl record.

One of the first ones I bought was that distinctive “Tattoo You” by the Rolling Stones.

Good neighbour policy
In junior high, before I really got into music, but was becoming more interested, I often took my lead from Mike. That was the case in Grade 9, and where I pick up the trail of the Rolling Stones.

It was 1983 and they released the album “Undercover”. The first single was “Undercover of the Night”. I saw it on the weekly countdown during the first episode of “Solid Gold” that I ever watched. “Undercover of the Night” went all the way to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.

A few months later they released “She Was Hot”, which peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. I remember this was one of the first music videos I saw on “Video Hits”, an afterschool show on CBC Channel 9 on the peasant vision dial. I recall the video had actress and dancer Anita Morris and, when she kissed Rolling Stone lead singer Mick Jagger, he blew smoke out of his mouth.

I also distinctly remember talking to Mike about that video in science class. I kept saying “Beast of Burden” instead of “She Was Hot”, until Mike corrected me.

Record sale
As I got more and more into music, I ventured out. There was a massive flea market every year at the Lethbridge Exhibition Pavilion. When we went in 1985, there was a table with boxes upon boxes of records. There were a few that interested me, until I came upon one.

It had this iconic photo of the Stones, including Mick Jagger in like a Navy seaman coat. It struck a chord with me, so I shelled out the five or 10 bucks and bought the record. It was called “Between the Buttons”, and turned out to be one of the Stones’ most famous albums. It had hits such as “Ruby Tuesday” and “Let’s Spend the Night Together”, but a lot of other good stuff as well.

I still have that record in my garage.

“Dirty Work”
By the next time the Rolling Stones put an album, I was really into music, and had heard about its impending release.

It was 1986, the album was called “Dirty Work”, and the first single was “Harlem Shuffle”. There was a lot of anticipation about the video and it did not disappoint. It was a cartoon that included Sylvestor the Cat, one of my favourites. I ended up seeing the “world debut” of the “Harlem Shuffle” video on “Entertainment Tonight.”

The song proved to be another hit for the Rolling Stones, going all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Dirty Work” was also the monthly selection from Columbia House when it came out, but I don’t recall having it sent to me.

A few months later, they charted “One Hit to the Body”, which peaked at umber 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song catalogue
As I got more and more into music, I discovered a lot more Rolling Stones songs had come before. Those songs included “(I Can’t Get no) Satisfaction”, which was their first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100; “Get Off My Cloud”, which also went to number one; and “Time is on my Side”.

There was “Paint it Black”, which went to number one, was the opening song of the Vietnam War TV series “Tour of Duty”, and my favourite all-time Stones song.

They also did “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”; “Sympathy for the Devil”; “Honky Tonk Womnen”; “Brown Sugar”, which went to number one; “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”; “Angie”, which went to number one; “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like it)”; “Beast of Burden”; and so many others.

End of the decade
The last Rolling Stones song from the ‘80s that I recall was “Mixed Emotions”. It was the first single from the album “Steel Wheels” which came out in the Fall of 1989. “Mixed Emotions” went all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

I distinctly remember dancing to “Mixed Emotions” and booming out the words at a Lister Hall dance that year, which would have been my third year of university.

As the ‘80s closed the Stones showed no signs of really slowing down

The years after
The Rolling Stones keep on trucking to this day. The highlight for me was going to see the Rolling Stones at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton in the Fall of 1994 during their Voodoo Lounge tour.

Parting thoughts
Long before I started getting into music, I knew about the Rolling Stones. They are one of the best known bands of all time.

Whenever the subject comes up, I always prefer the Rolling Stones over the Beatles. The Stones just seem to have more edge for me, which I like.

I developed that preference for the Stones in the ‘80s, by listening to the radio and records, and watching videos. They were still turning out top 10 and top 20 songs.

Anthony Michael Hall: Frozen in time

Anthony Michael Hall in "The Breakfast Club" in 1985.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001309/mediaviewer/rm4119185409/

(May be subject to copyright)

One minute he was Clark Griswold’s son, the next a horny teenager, the minute after that a geek who somehow found himself in detention, then he combined horny and nerd to create the perfect woman.

There was a moment in time when Anthony Michael Hall was a poster child for teen angst and the genre of movies it spawned.

It was his birthday yesterday. It reminded me of those John Hughes movies, how much more he was in back in the 1980s, and what happens to a teen star who grows up.

In the beginning
Anthony Michael Hall will forever be linked to John Hughes and his movies, but he actually got his start a couple years before that at the dawn of the 1980s

Wikipedia reveals Hall played a young Edgar Allan Poe in the 1980 TV movie “The Gold Bug” and Huckleberry Finn in the 1982 TV movie “Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn”.

Later in 1982, Hall attracted attention when he was one of the six children encountered by race car driver Brewster Baker, played by Kenny Rogers, in the movie “Six Pack”.

The following year, Anthony Michael Hall’s life, and the trajectory of his career, would change dramatically.

Taking “Vacation”
In 1983, Anthony Michael Hall landed the role of Rusty Griswold in the comedy “National Lampoon’s Vacation”. He played the son of Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, who have nothing but complications when they go on vacation.

Hall decided not to reprise the role of Rusty Griswold in the sequels

John Hughes was the screenwriter for “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, and had decided he was going to move into directing.

That was a gift to the world.

“Sixteen Candles”
Hughes was impressed by Hall’s work and cast him in the role of Ted, but simply referred to as “The Geek”, in “Sixteen Candles” in 1984.

It was the first of Hughes’ teen angst movies, and it left an impression on me. The premise is that Sam, played by Molly Ringwald, is upset when, in the madness surrounding her sister’s wedding, her family forgets her birthday – her 16th birthday. Sam leads a complex life, as teenagers do. She likes a senior named Jake, but Jake has a wild girlfriend named Caroline. At the same time, Sam is also being pursued by a freshman, the aforementioned Ted.

In the end, Caroline and her friends have a wild party at Jake’s house. He ends up realizing he likes Sam as much as she likes him, and they go from there. Meanwhile, the morning after, Ted wakes up in a parked car beside Caroline who passed out the night before.

She has no memory of the night before. She asks Ted if they got together, and he plays along. She is not repulsed, given he is a geeky freshman and she is the cool senior. Instead, she tells Ted she thinks he was kind and gentle, and they actually look like they are about to kiss for real. Then Ted’s buddies show up.

I saw “Sixteen Candles” in the Green Acres Drive-in with my friend Mat, his mom and siblings in the summer of 1984. I was beginning to like girls, and experience all these new emotions. I was going into high school, so I was a “freshman” myself. That scene where a geeky freshman, as I kind of viewed myself, getting the cool senior, really got to me. I could not stop thinking about it the next day.

Then, a few weeks later, I actually met a senior and spent a week hanging out with her in Brooks. Unfortunately, she lived in Red Deer, so I never saw her again.

Yet, “Sixteen Candles” left an indelible mark on me, and it was all due to Anthony Michael Hall.

The Breakfast Club
Anthony Michael Hall was back in 1985 with “The Breakfast Club”. He played Brian Johnson, a brain, who is stuck in Saturday detention with a skid played by Judd Nelson; jock played by Emilio Estevez: princess or prep played by Molly Ringwald: and outsider played by Ally Sheedy.

It is an amazing movie that I have seen many times. It cemented my love for John Hughes and the fact he is a spokesman for my generation.

Weird Science
Later in 1985, Anthony Michael Hall was back with “Weird Science” where he and Ilan Mitchell-Smith, play two high school nerds, who create the perfect woman, played by Kelly LeBrock.

The road not taken
Wikipedia revealed to me that Anthony Michael Hall turned down the roles of the Duckman played by Jon Cryer in “Pretty in Pink” and Cameron Frye, played by Alan Ruck, in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. These roles were written by John Hughes specifically for Anthony Michael Hall.

However, Hall did not wish to be typecast, so he took the role in the dramatic movie “Out of Bounds” in 1986. It tells the story of an Iowa farm boy whose luggage is switched with a heroin dealer’s, leading to a flight from criminals and the law.

I never saw “Out of Bounds” and it looked like no one else did either.

Live
Hall became the youngest performer ever, at age 17, to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live” for the 1985-1986 season. The ratings were not very good and Hall was dismissed at the end of the season.

Role reversal
Hall’s next movie was “Johnny Be Good” in 1988, where instead of a nerd, he plays a jock – the star of the high school football team. Wikipedia reveals some of the reviewers said he was miscast, having set himself up as the typical geek.

The years after
Anthony Michael Hall keeps on acting to this day. He has had roles in movies such as “Edward Scissorhands”; “Six Degrees of Separation”; “Freddy Got Fingered”; “Hysteria – The Def Leppard Story”; “The Dark Knight”; “Foxcatcher” and much more.

He has had roles on TV in “NYPD Blue”; “Murder, She Wrote”; “Touched by an Angel”; “Diagnosis: Murder”; the TV movie “*61”; “The Dead Zone”, where he was in 81 episodes; “Entourage”; “Community”; “CSI: Miami”; “Psych”; “”Murder in the First” for five episodes; “Riverdale”; “The Blacklist”; and nine episodes of “The Goldbergs”.

Parting thoughts
It is hard to see pictures of Anthony Michael Hall as he looks today, because that youthful boyish look is forever frozen in time.

It was a time when I was a teenager, and found John Hughes, who was writing movies and characters I could relate to. He was such an influence on me, I not only wanted to be like him, but I wrote my own teen angst play.

At the heart of some of John Hughes’ best movies was Anthony Michael Hall.

He was just the perfect actor for the perfect roles.

Remembering “Be Near Me” by ABC

It was a time when I was just getting interested in girls and also venturing out more and more beyond the farm. My friends were getting their licences, and we were forming new and different friendships.

There was one particular night that sticks out in my memory.

Every time I hear “Be Near Me” by ABC, I am taken back to that time.

Crush on you
Early in Grade 11, I started developing a crush on this girl in my grade. We had a few classes together, including math and accounting, and she was a bit of a flirt. These feelings were all new to me, so I had no idea what was innocent flirtation versus something more serious.

So, my crush grew.

In accounting class, we had a project that took the better part of a couple months. We were given a lot of class time to do it, so there was a lot of visiting and chatting while we worked.

It also provided an opportunity to get to know her better, which I thought was cool.

Yet, I had no idea how to proceed, and what to do to act on these growing feelings.

So I did nothing.

I waited for a sign that she might really like me, so I wouldn’t be taking too big a chance.

The invitation
Then one Saturday morning, I thought that sign came.

The phone rang, and it was from her. She asked me what I was doing in a couple Thursdays. My hopes grew.

“Nothing,” I said.

She was on the cheerleading squad and they were having a fundraising spaghetti dinner in the school gym. She had to sell a certain number of tickets.

Sign me up, I said.

I knew it was not a date, or anything, but I took it as a sign to be hopeful.

Spaghetti supper
It was still the first semester of Grade 11, the Fall of 1985, and I was still 15. Without a licence, I had to find a ride to town, because my folks were often busy on the farm.

My good friend Mat was also my neighbour. He had his licence, and he was giving me rides to places more and more.

He had something to do, so he would meet me at the spaghetti supper, then we’d go home together.

After school, I arranged to hang out with my friend Shawn who was also in that accounting class. He had a friend named Mike, so we all went back to his place after school to play this new video game.

Mike gave us a ride to his place. The radio was playing and the song was “Be Near Me” by ABC.

Pretty soon, it was time to go to the spaghetti supper.

The girl was there to greet us, and showed us to a table.

We had a great meal, and were milling around after.

Something happened, I don’t recall what, but Shawn ended up getting chased by someone and came straight towards me. I couldn’t get out of his way so he jumped and I caught him.

The girl thought that was pretty cool.

So she asked me if we could try.

Try what, I asked.

If she came towards me and I caught her. It could make a good cheerleading number.

I was in, because I really just wanted to be near her.

We did that a coupler times, and it went okay, although I could not see what it was leading to.

Then Shawn asked if he could try.

She ran towards him, and he caught her. Then he swung her over his left shoulder like Tarzan might do with Jane, and ran out of the gym.

That was the end of that – in more ways than one.

I never really did go out with her, but that is a much larger story.

The song
“Be Near Me” by ABC was from their album “How to be a…Zillionare!” The song went all the way to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It also peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in September of 1985, not too much after the spaghetti supper.

Parting thoughts
It was a transitional time I my life. I was discovering girls, venturing out on my own and trying to deal with feelings I never really had before.

Every time I hear “Be Near Me” by ABC, I am taken back to that time, that spaghetti supper, and my first teenage crush.

Ray Ferraro: Good player, great broadcaster

Ray Ferraro scored 108 goals in the 1983-1984 regular season for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Source: https://x.com/rayferraro21/status/1199784545421103104

(May be subject to copyright)

Every time I see him doing analysis on TV, I have a thought with him that I have with a lot of analysts – “I remember watching him play.”

In the case of Ray Ferraro, I think back to a game breaker in junior, with what bordered on super human stats, who turned into a solid NHL player.

Junior sensation
The first time I ever heard the name Ray Ferraro, he was lighting up the Western Hockey League. He was playing with the Portland Winter Hawks who were battling with my beloved Lethbridge Broncos for the league championship in the 1982-1983 season. He ended up playing in 50 games, scoring 41 goals and adding 49 assists for 90 points. The Broncos beat the Winter Hawks in the league championship series but, because Portland was hosting the Memorial Cup, both teams advanced to the championship tournament. In 14 playoff games, Ferraro had 14 goals and 10 assists for 24 points. Portland would ultimately win the Memorial Cup, where Ferraro had one goal and two assists for three points in four games.

He was traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings before the start of the 1983-1984 season, and it would be one for the record books. Ferraro scored a league record 108 goals and had 84 assists for 192 points in 72 games. He added 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 11 playoff games.

I always wondered why he was not taken higher than 88th overall, but that was in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, before he had his big seasons.

Whaler nation
It was the Hartford Whalers who drafted Ray Ferraro in 1982. He turned pro for the 1984-1985 season, splitting time between the Whalers and Binghampton, their American Hockey League affiliate. In 37 games in Binghampton, he had 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points. He also had 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 44 games for Hartford.

That would be the last time he spent any time in Binghampton, playing the rest of the decade with the Whalers.

In 1985-1986, his first full season with the Whalers, Ferraro appeared in 76 games, scoring 30 goals and 47 assists for 77 points. He also had three goals and six assists for nine points in 10 playoff games.

The following year, the 1986-1987 season, Ferraro scored 27 goals and 32 assists for 59 points in 80 games, and added one goal and one assist for two points in six playoff games.

In the 1987-1988 season, he played 68 games, tallying 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points, and again had a goal and an assist for two points in six playoff games.

Ferraro scored a career-high 41 goals in the 1988-1989 season, to go with 35 assists for 76 points in 80 games, and added two goals in four playoff games.

He closed out the decade in the 1989-1990 season with 25 goals and 29 assists for 54 points in 79 games, and added three assists in seven playoff games.

The years after
Ray Ferraro would be traded to the New York Islanders the next season where he would have some of his best years, including an all-star selection in 1992. His time with the Islanders also included a stellar 1993 playoff run where the Islanders upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup semi-final before falling to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens. Ferraro led the Islanders with 13 goals and 20 points.

He would also play with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, and St. Louis Blues before retiring after the 2001-2002 season.

His career NHL totals are 408 goals and 490 assists for 898 points in 1,258 games. He also scored 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 68 playoff games.

Ferraro began working on hockey broadcasts while still a player, and continues on to this day.

Parting thoughts
I always remember that 108-goal season of Ray Ferraro’s and how impressive it really is. He was a big deal that year and, although not as prolific at the professional level, he had a solid NHL career.

Where he really stands out now is as a broadcaster. I truly think he is one of the best, bringing value and insight to each and every broadcast he works on.

He may not have been a super star as a player, but he certainly is a super star as a broadcaster.

O.J. Simpson

It is funny trying to write about disgraced celebrities. Back in the 1980s, they were part of the fabric of pop culture, but have done such despicable and grotesque things. Bill Cosby is the first one to come to mind, but right behind him is O.J. Simpson.

It was announced today that Simpson died at the age of 76.

His life and times should not be erased. They should be put in the context of the fact he was not a great man who did great things. He was a man playing a boys’ game. He became a man paid to play pretend. For this he was put on a pedestal and paid far more money than men and women who actually help people.

I do not plan to deify him or glorify his accomplishments, but describe what I recall about him growing up. No matter what that was, it did not excuse the actions that later hastened his massive fall from grace.

Football
By the time I started watching football, O.J. Simpson was just a shadow of himself, hobbled by injury. In fact, I read a “Sport” Magazine that had an NFL preview for the 1978 season. It talked about how the Bills had traded Simpson to the San Francisco 49ers. He retired after the 1979 season, and I never saw him play.

He was regarded as one of the greatest runningbacks in history. The accomplishment I heard about a lot growing up in the ‘80s was the season he set the NFL single season rushing record with 2,003 yards. That record was broken by Eric Dickerson, who still holds it. However, Dickerson took 16 games to do it. Simpson did it in 14 games.

He was also a most valuable player, offensive player of the year, league rushing leader multiple times, scoring leader, All-Pro, Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Simpson would then move to the silver screen, where I remember him best.

The small screen
It was a natural transition for Simpson to become a football broadcaster. He started out on NBC from 1978 to 1982. He then joined ABC’s “Monday Night Football”, staying from 1983 until 1985 when he was dropped after that season. He returned to NBC in 1989 as an analyst for “NFL Live!”. However, was replaced in 1994 after he was accused of his ex-wife’s murder.

He  had a lot of television credits as well, starting in “Medical Center” in 1969. He was also in “Roots” in 1977; hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1978; was in the TV movies “Goldie and the Boxer” in 1979 and “Cocaine and Blue Eyes” in 1983; had a guest spot in “In the Heat of the Night” in 1989; and much more.

Simpson appeared in a lot of theatrical releases starting with “The Towering Inferno” in 1974, a movie about people trapped in a skyscraper on fire and trying to get out.

The first time I really saw him as an actor was in “Capricorn One”. He plays one of three astronauts on their way to Mars, but the mission is aborted. However, the space program doesn’t want to admit failure, so they stage a fake landing. Meanwhile, the astronauts go on the run, hunted by agents from the space program who want to silence them and keep the conspiracy a secret.

The next time I saw O.J. Simpson was in “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” in 1988. It was a spoof of police shows starring Canadian Leslie Nielsen. Simpson played Detective Nordberg, one of the inept, bumbling police officers who manage to stop an assassination plot against the Queen of England.

Simpson would appear in some other movies, most notably reprising the role of Detective Nordberg in “The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear” in 1991, and “The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994.

Everything stopped around then, as the murder trial, and the three-ring circus around it, took hold.

Parting thoughts
It’s kind of tough to write about O.J. Simpson, but he did have a place in pop culture. It cannot be erased, especially because the great actors he appeared alongside, the directors, producers and crew who worked with him, do not deserve to be erased.

Interestingly, as great a football player as I heard he was, he really wasn’t that great an actor. In fact, when I hear his name, it reminds me of the stuff he was in, but not really him.

That’s probably for the best.

Bob Boone: The family business

Philadelphia Phillie catcher Bob Boone gets ready to tag Kansasa City Royal Darrell Porter at home plate in the 1980 World Series.

Source: Facebook/Baseball in Pics

(May be subject to copyright)

When my beloved Toronto Blue Jays were playing the New York Yankees recently, Sportsnet zoomed in on Yankee manager Aaron Boone. It took me back more than 40 years to the 1980 Major League Baseball season.

The Montreal Expos were contending for the National League Division title, chasing the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had a catcher I just loved named Bob Boone. When I saw Aaron, I knew he was Bob’s son.

The funny thing is, in 1980, I heard that Bob too was the son of a major leaguer, information revealed to me on the back of his baseball card.

That really makes baseball the family business for the Boones.

In the beginning
Bob Boone was a catcher drafted in 1969 by the Philadelphia Phillies, making his major league debut in 1972. He would play for the Phillies from 1972 until 1981. In that time he was an all-star in 1976, 1978, and 1979; and won Gold Gloves in 1978 and 1979.

Sunny in Philadelphia
The first time I saw him was in that 1980 season. The Montreal Expos challenged the Phillies for the American League East Division title, before Philadelphia prevailed. They would go on to defeat the Houston Astros, the National League West Division champions, in the National League Championship Series. Then they won the World Series by defeating the Kansas City Royals in six games.

The next year, a players’ strike forced a stoppage during the season. Major League Baseball decided to create a second round of playoffs. The teams who were in first when play stopped were declared the first half division champions. Play would resume and the winners of the second half would play the first half champions.

The Phillies were leading in the first half. Montreal won the second half so they would play Philadelphia in a best-of-five series. Montreal won that divisional series in five games.

Again Boone started behind the plate for the Phillies.

That divisional series would be the last games Bob Boone played in a Phillies uniform.

California dreaming
Bob Boone moved on to Anaheim to play for the California Angels to start the 1982 season, after being sold by the Phillies. Wikipedia reveals Philadelphia may have sold him because he did not have a productive 1981 season, or because he was one of the labour leaders in the 1981 strike.

In any event, Bob Boone rebounded with a solid 1982 season. He threw out 21 of the first 34 steal attempts on his way to his third Gold Glove. He also helped California win the American League West Division before losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League Championship Series.

He would be named an all-star in 1983, the fourth time in his career, and he won Gold Gloves in 1986, 1987, and 1988.

Royal treatment
Boone signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals before the 1989 season. He won the final Gold Glove of his career in 1989. However, he broke his finger in 1990 which hastened his retirement that same year.

He finished his career appearing in 2,264 games, recording 1,838 hits, including 105 home runs, and 826 runs batted in.

Boone would return to manage the Royals from 1995 to 1997 and also spent three years managing the Cincinnati Reds from 2001 to 2003.

Family affair
Bob Boone was the son of Ray Boone, who played in the major leagues from 1948 to 1960, spending time with Cleveland, Detroit, the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves and Boston Red Sox.

Ray Boone was an all-star in 1954 and 1956 and was the American League leader in runs batted in 1955, all with Detroit. He also won a World Series with Cleveland in 1948.

His career batting average was .275, he hit 151 home runs, and had 737 runs batted in.

Bob Boone has two sons who played in the major leagues as well.

Bret Boone played from 1992 to 2005, spending time with Seattle, Cincinnati, Atlanta, San Diego, Seattle again, and Minnesota. He was an all-star in 1998 with Cincinnati, and with Seattle in 2001 and 2003. He won four Gold gloves, in 1998 with Cincinnati and 2002, 2003 and 2004 with Seattle. He was a Silver Slugger in 2001 and 2003 with Seattle. Boone also led the American League in runs batted in just like his grandfather Ray, in 2001 with Seattle. He finished his career with a .266 batting average, 252 home runs and 1,021 runs batted in.

Aaron Boone played in the major leagues from 1997 to 2009, playing with Cincinnati, the New York Yankees, Cleveland, Florida, Washington and Houston. He was an all-star in 2003 with the Yankees, and finished his career batting .263 with 126 home runs and 555 runs batted in. He has been the manager of the New York Yankees since 2018.

Parting thoughts
When I watched Aaron Boone manage recently, it came up that he was the son of a major leaguer and World Series champion. The funny thing is, when I watched his dad Bob Boone play for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, it came up that he was the son of a major leaguer and World Series champion. I got to read that on the back of a baseball card as well.

Baseball really is a family affair for the Boone family.

Jane Seymour: A versatile career

Jane Seymour in the television miniseries "War and Remembrance" in 1989.

Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/

(May be subject to copyright)

The colonial fleet had been decimated by a sneak Cylon attack, and the human race was literally on the run. As it struggled to survive, the humans also realized they had to protect themselves. That meant conscripting every able body and training them to fly Vipers, their fighter ships of defence.

Leading the remnants of the fleet and humanity, was the Battlestar Galactica commanded by Commander Adama. His son Apollo was one of the surviving pilots of the fleet, and tasked to train the new recruits who were all women.

One of those recruits was his very own wife played by a very young Jane Seymour.

It was the first time I had ever seen Jane Seymour, but it definitely would not be the last.

The other night she was on the Country Music Television awards presenting the first ever humanitarian award.

It reminded me of that role so long ago in a galaxy far away – and so much more.

The years before
I did not know that Jane Seymour was a Bond girl. However, she appeared in “Live and Let Die”, a 1973 James bond movie with Roger Moore portraying the British spy with the licence to kill.

She had also been appearing in a variety of film and television productions in her native England since 1969.

In 1977 she had a guest spot in “McCloud” then in 1978 she appeared as Serina in “Battlestar Galactica” for five episodes.

Serina was a reporter before the Cylon attack, then was on the run with the rest of humanity. She had a son named Boxy, when she met and fell in love with Colonial Warrior Apollo. Sadly, Serina was killed by the Cylons during one of their skirmishes early in their quest to find a shining planet known as Earth.

As the 1980s dawned, Jane Seymour had begun to spend more time on screens in North America, and was poised to break out.

Movie time
Seymour began the decade with two motion pictures in 1980. In “Oh! Heavenly Dog” she played opposite Chevy Chase, a private investigator who dies and comes back to Earth as a dog to solve his own murder. In “Somewhere in Time”, Seymour played opposite Christopher Reeve, who believed he could go back in time, live a life, and pursue romance, by pretending hard enough.

Miniseries magic
Then, in 1981, she appeared in the TV miniseries “East of Eden” where she played a malevolent woman toying with the emotions of two battling brothers, played by Bruce Boxleitner and Timothy Bottoms. Seymour won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Like the Lone Ranger
In 1982, Seymour appeared in the television movie “The Scarlet Pimpernel” starring opposite Anthony Andrews as a Lone Ranger-type vigilante during the Reign of Terror in France. As the Scarlet Pimpernel, he would rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine by night, while posing as a seemingly harmless English aristocrat by day.

Seymour also appeared in other television movies such as “The Phantom of the Opera” in 1983; “The Sun Also Rises” in 1984; and the miniseries “Crossings” in 1986.

It takes a thief
In 1984, Seymour was in “Lassiter”, playing opposite Tom Selleck. He was a professional thief coerced into stealing Nazi diamonds for the Allied war effort. I never did see this movie, and plan to because I love Selleck. Yet it was a box office bomb like “High Road to China” and “Runaway”, two other movies he made when his TV series “Magnum P.I.” was on hiatus. For the record, I liked “High Road to China.”

War and Remembrance
The miniseries “Winds of War” was an epic that spanned a whole week in 1982. It told the story of the Henrys, an American naval family, during the time leading up to the start of the Second World War.

It was based on the book by Herman Wouk. It was also the prelude to its sequel “War and Remembrance”.

There was a lot of anticipation surrounding the production of “War and Remembrance” as a miniseries. By the time it went into production, many of the actors were no longer suitable for the parts they played in “Winds of War”.

One actor was Ali McGraw who had played Natalie Jastrow Henry. She was a Jewish woman who married Byron Henry, one of the sons of naval leader “Pug” Henry. By the time “War and Remembrance” went into production, McGraw was just not suitable.

So, the producers cast Jane Seymour to play Natalie.

“War and Remembrance” was so big, it came out in two parts in my second year of university. The first half came out in November of 1988, and I was so busy with university life that I did not even know it existed.

The second half came out in May. I was living in res for the summer, and my friend Dave Turnbull was sticking around for a few weeks. One day, I saw he was watching “War and Remembrance”, and I was hooked again. I watched a few episodes with him. I also had planned to go home to visit my parents for a week. Consequently, I watched the rest of “War and Remembrance” back on the farm when I went home in May of 1989.

It was really good, although at times I found it difficult seeing Jane Seymour as Natalie Jastrow Henry. She was still Ali McGraw to me.

For her efforts, Seymour was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special, and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.

More TV movies, more awards
Jane Seymour ended the ‘80s portraying two real-life people in television movies, both in 1988.

She portrayed Wallis Simpson in “The Woman he Loved.” She was the “commoner” King Edward VIII of England, played by Anthony Andrews, gave up his crown for. Seymour was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for the role.

Seymour also portrayed Maria Callas in “Onassis: The Richest Man in the World”, about Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. Callas was a Greek opera singer who had a love affair with Onassis. For her efforts, Seymour won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special.

The years after
Jane Seymour keeps on acting to this day.

She continued to appear in theatrical releases such as “The New Swiss Family Robinson”; “Wedding Crashers”; “The Family Tree”; “The War with Grandpa”; and much more. She also appeared in a lot of TV movies including “Heidi” and much more.

However, her biggest contribution was in television. From 1993 to 1998 she was the title character in “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” for 150 episodes and two TV movies. She was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994 and 1998; and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996, winning in 1995.

She also had guest-starring roles in “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Dharma and Greg” as herself; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Smallville”; “Modern Men”; “How I Met Your Mother”; “My Name is Earl”; “Castle”; “Jane the Virgin”; “B Positive”; and much more.

In 1999, she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Classical Music – Dance Program for “A Streetcar Named Desire”.

I particularly enjoyed her in the 2018 sitcom “Let’s Get PhysicaL” where she plays the mother of an aerobics instructor. The show only lasted eight episodes but I loved it.

Seymour also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, and in 2000 was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Parting thoughts
Jane Seymour seems to be absolutely ageless. When I saw her on the CMT Awards she didn’t look much different from one I saw her on “Battlestar Galactica” more than 45 years ago.

In that time, she has put together an amazing body of work that ranges from the dramatic such as “War and Remembrance” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” to the comedic such as “Let’s Get Physical” and “The War with Grandpa”.

She has always been charming, elegant and sophisticated, but has never been afraid to get her hands dirty.

Jane Seymour really has had a versatile career.

Julia Duffy: Newhart and more

Actress Julia Duffy with Bob Newhart, who she starred

with in the sitcom "Newhart" through much of the '80s.

Source: https://www.aada.edu/article/alumna-julia-duffy-bad-auditions

(May be subject to copyright)

The other night I was watching the re-boot of “Night Court”. Abby Stone, the main character was meeting her new boyfriend’s mother for the first time. The face was unmistakable but so was the voice.

Although playing a mother now, I was taken back close to 40 years to an inn near a sleepy Vermont town, when she played an heiress “reduced” to being a chamber maid.

Julia Duffy’s most famous role was Stephanie Vanderkellen on “Newhart”. However, she did a lot more before and after that iconic role that garnered her several award nominations along the way.

The early years
Julia Duffy began her career on the television soap operas. She was in “Love of Life” in 1972, then in “The Doctors” from 1973 to 1978 and “One Life to Live” in 1977.

She had several guest starring roles in “The Love Boat”; “Lou Grant”; “Cheers”, where she had been considered for the part of Diane Chambers before Shelley Long was cast; “Voyagers”; the Civil War miniseries “The Blue and the Gray”; and “Simon and Simon”.

Duffy also appeared in several movies starting with Roger Corman’s “Battle Beyond the Stars” in 1980. They also included the forgettable features “Cutter’s Way”; “Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker”; and “Wacko”.

In 1983 she had a recurring role in the medieval comedy spoof “Wizards and Warriors” as Princess Ariel for eight episodes. This is a show I always wanted to see, but it was never on peasant vision.

Later that same year the trajectory of Julia Duffy’s career would change dramatically with a very special role.

Newhart
The sitcom “Newhart” debuted in 1982 on Channel 9 on the peasant vision dial. It starred Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, a New York City author who, with his wife Joanna played by Mary Frann, buy an inn in rural Vermont and move there to run it. One of their staff members is maid Leslie Vanderkellen, played by Jennifer Holmes.

In that first season, Julia Duffy guest starred as Leslie’s upper class, snobby, self-absorbed cousin Stephanie in 1982. At the start of the second season, Duffy joined the cast as the inn’s maid, staying for the duration of the show’s run, which ended in 1990.

Duffy would turn in a signature performance. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Stephanie Vanderkellen in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actressin a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 1988.

The rest of the decade
Duffy closed out the ‘80s with guest spots in “The Love Boat” and “Hotel”, and appeared in three more television movies.

The years after
Julia Duffy kept right on working after “Newhart” ended. She immediately was part of “Baby Talk” in 1991, a sitcom told through the eyes of a baby who only the audience can hear talking. It tried to capitalize on the popularity of the “Look Who’s Talking” movies. However, there was strife on the set and Duffy left after 12 episodes.

She immediately joined the cast of “Designing Women” as Allison Sugarbaker appearing in 23 episodes for the 1991-1992, ostensibly replacing Delta Burke. Again, she left the series after one season after encountering conflict over the direction of her character.

Duffy, then joined the cast of “The Mommies” from 1993 to 1995 for 28 episodes as the neighbour of the title characters.

She would also have guest roles in “Grace Under Fire”; “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”; “Diagnosis: Murder”; “Reba”; “The Drew Carey Show”; “CSI: New York”; “7th Heaven”; “Melissa and Joey”; “Shameless”; “Anger Management”; most recently “Night Court”; and much more. She has also appeared in a fair number of theatrical releases and television movies.

Parting thoughts
I will always remember the transition from season one of “Newhart” to season two. The show looked very different that first year, starting with the fact it was shot in video, then moved to film. The Loudons’ neighbour was a compulsive liar named Kirk Devane, played by Steven Kampmann who owned the Minute Man Café next door. Their housekeeper was Leslie Vanderkellen, played by Jennifer Holmes.

When season two started, Leslie was gone. She was replaced by her cousin Stephanie who was vain and lazy, as the long, award-nominated run of Julia Duffy began. Dick moved into community television. His producer, Michael Harris, was played by Peter Scolari, and would become a love interest to Stephanie. They would eventually marry and have children. Kirk left in the third season, and the Minute Man Café was then owned by Larry, Daryl and Daryl, who had been kind of an ongoing joke in season one.

No matter how prolific Julia Duffy is, she will always be Stephanie Vanderkellen to me.

That was the first thing that came to mind when she appeared on “Night Court”.

Rance Mulliniks: Platooning third baseman

Rance Mulliniks played third base for the Toronto Blue Jays for much of the '80s.

Source: https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/rance-mulliniks-much-popular-played-today/

(May be subject to copyright)

He was a platooning third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays through their drive to respectability in the 1980s.

However, there is one other thing I will always remember about Rance Mulliniks. He was named part of David Letterman’s Top 10 list of coolest names in Major League Baseball.

His name was evoked last week when Ernie Clement hit a game-winning home run for the Blue Jays in Yankee Stadium in New York on April 5.

It was the first Blue Jay go-ahead, pinch-hit home run in the Bronx since Rance Mulliniks hit one on June 12, 1985.

Background
Rance Mulliniks was taken by the California Angels in the 1974 free agent draft, and made his major league debut in 1977. He was traded with Willie Mays Aikens by the Angels to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Al Cowens, Todd Cruz and a player to be named later who ended up being Craig Eaton.

He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays before the start of the 1982 season, for Phil Huffman.

That’s when things get interesting.

The switch
Rance Mulliniks had been a shortstop, but when he got to Toronto, he was converted to third base, where he would play the rest of his career.

Mulliniks’s arrival in Toronto coincided with Bobby Cox taking over as manager. He injected energy and confidence into the Blue Jays. That turned around the fortunes of the ball club who, up to that point, never had a winning season.

One of Cox’s strategies was to platoon players, utilizing two players at one position. It was early analytics, with the theory being that two players platooning, could put up the same numbers combined as one player. Moreover, one player would bat right-handed and the other left-handed.

Cox, platooned Mulliniks at third base with Garth Iorg, and the two were a fantastic tandem until Iorg retired in 1987.

The Blue Jays did not have a winning season in 1982, but they finished the year strong, setting the stage for 11 consecutive winning seasons.

The numbers
Mulliniks played in 112 games that first season in Toronto. He batted .244 with 76 hits including four home runs, 25 doubles and he drove in 35 runs.

The 1983 year would the Jays’ first winning season in franchise history. Mulliniks appeared in 129 games, batting .275 with 100 hits, including 10 home runs, three triples, 34 doubles, and 49 runs batted in.

In 1984, the Jays chased the Detroit Tigers wire to wire before finishing second in the American League East Division. Mulliniks played in 125 games, batting a career-high .324, with a career-high 111 hits, including three home runs, five triples, 25 doubles, and driving in 42 runs.

The Blue Jays won their first ever American League East Division title in 1985 before losing in the American League Championship Series to the Kansas City Royals in seven games. Mulliniks played in 129 games, batting .295 with 108 hits including 10 home runs, a triple and 26 doubles to go with a career-high 57 runs batted in.

In 1986, the Jays came down to Earth finishing fourth in the American League East Division. Mulliniks played in 117 games, batting .259 with 90 hits, including 11 home runs, 22 doubles and 45 runs batted in.

The Blue Jays lost the American League East Division title to Detroit on the last weekend of the 1987 season. Mulliniks appeared in 124 games, batting .310 on 103 hits including 11 home runs, a triple, 28 doubles and 44 runs batted in.

In 1988, the Jays again fell to Earth, finishing fourth in the American League East Division. Mulliniks played in 119 games, batting .300, with 101 hits including a career-high 12 home runs, one triple, 21 doubles and 48 runs batted in.

He also led American League third basemen in fielding percentage in 1984 at .968; 1985 at .971; and 1986 at .975.

The Jays ended the decade winning their second American League East Division title before losing to the eventual World Series champion Oakland A’s in the American League Championship Series. Mulliniks played in 103 games, batting .238 with 65 hits including three home runs, two triples, 11 doubles, and driving in 29 runs.

The years after
Mulliniks played right through to the 1992 season before retiring. Injuries hampered Mulliniks that 1992 season where the Jays won their first World Series. He appeared in just three games.

He finished his career with totals in Toronto of 1,115 games, batting .280 overall with 843 hits, including 68 home runs, 14 triples, 204 doubles and 389 total runs batted in. He also holds the Blue Jays’ single season franchise record for fielding percentage by a third baseman at .975; and has the franchise record for pinch hits with 59.

Parting thoughts
Whenever I think of Rance Mulliniks I have to think of Garth Iorg because, together, they were a formidable tandem at third base for the Toronto Blue Jays. If one started, invariably the other would make an appearance later in the game, usually after a pitching change, and usually for a more favourable situation at the plate.

Rance Mulliniks was a patient batter and a stellar fielder.

Often he gets lost among all the other players the Jays had leading in those 11 straight winning seasons that included two World Series championships.

Yet, Rance Mulliniks was a very important part of that team, providing an anchor at third base and at the plate.