From Patty Duke Show to Star Trek
Posted on February 28, 2015 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
If you have watched television since the 1950s, there’s no avoiding William Schallert. His distinctive, mellow voice and comfortingly familiar face have appeared on series ranging from “Father Knows Best” to “Desperate Housewives” and everything in between (see www.william-schallert.com). “I’ve never added up the total, but I did work a lot!” said Schallert from his […]
“The Virginian” Rides Again
Posted on January 31, 2015 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
While today’s television landscape is littered with so-called reality programming, westerns dominated the airways in the 1960s. One of the most popular was The Virginian, which ran for nine seasons on NBC from 1962-1971. It starred James Drury as the unnamed, mystery foreman of the Shiloh ranch, set in Medicine Bow, Wy. Drury celebrated his […]
Remembering Elvis (the Actor)
Posted on November 30, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
For many, the title “King of Rock and Roll” is reserved for one man: Elvis Presley. Had he lived, the King would have celebrated his 80th birthday on January 8, 2015. Unlike most departed singers who are remembered largely for their music, Elvis lives on through a phenomenal number of appearances in scripted motion pictures […]
Mary Ann of “Gilligan’s Island”
Posted on October 4, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
What should have been “a three-hour tour” turned into a 50-year journey for Dawn Wells, who played castaway Mary Ann in the zany sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” that debuted on CBS in September, 1964. “I’m still talking and writing about the show and it continues to gain new fans,” said Wells from her home in Los Angeles. […]
From Actor to Painter
Posted on August 30, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
Since retiring from acting over a decade ago, versatile character actor Nehemiah Persoff has become a successful artist painting from his seaside home in Cambria, Calif., (see www.nehemiahpersoffpaintings.com). But in 1989 he experienced a TIA, transient ischemic attack, similar to a small stroke and often considered to be a “warning stroke.” “The doctors told me […]
Norman Lloyd: “Hitchcock” to “St. Elsewhere”
Posted on August 1, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
Norman Lloyd is taking things a bit easy these days. This year, he currently has only one film waiting for release, and he limits himself to two tennis matches a week. Still, that’s not bad, considering the veteran actor, producer, and director turns 100, later this year! “People are always asking me for the secret […]
Jane Powell: 85 and Cooking!
Posted on June 30, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
Multitalented actress Jane Powell celebrated her 85th birthday in April. She and husband Dick Moore purchased a home in Wilton, Conn., about 30 years ago, dividing their time between Connecticut and New York. “We found this perfect house which was built in 1875 and didn’t have to do much remodeling,” said Powell from Wilton. “I […]
Don Rickles Rolls On
Posted on May 29, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
Despite a leg infection that sidelined him earlier in the year, Don Rickles is as feisty as ever. In March, the 87-year-old comedian began a spring tour of theaters and casinos across the country with stops in California, Nevada, Michigan, Connecticut, and Wisconsin. But be warned! If you’re in the audience and sporting a bad […]
Behind the Camera: Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy
Posted on May 1, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
As Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy created one of the most iconic characters in television history. But for the past two decades, Nimoy has transported his career to the other side of the camera and is now regarded as a leading contemporary American photographer. Early in his acting career, he recognized photography could be […]
Return to the “Black Lagoon”
Posted on April 1, 2014 by bob in Tinseltown Talks
How much mileage could a studio expect from a 1954 film starring a biologist with a fascination for a secluded fishpond? Six decades worth, when the scientist was beautiful Julie Adams wrapped in a skin-tight white latex bathing suit and the fish turned out to be an angry piscine amphibious humanoid – aka “Creature from the […]
