Rowan Atkinson: No more Mr. Bean?

As a fan of British comedian Rowan Atkinson and his portrayal of the comical Mr. Bean, I was disappointed to read that the character may soon be put to rest.  In an interview with the  U.K.'s Daily Telegraph last weekend, Atkinson stated, "The stuff that has been most  commercially successful for me. - basically quite physical, quite childish - I increasingly feel I'm going to do a lot less of."  The actor is 57 years old now and he feels that he is becoming too old for the part.  He said, "Apart from the fact that your physical ability starts to decline, I also think someone in their fifties being childlike becomes a little sad.  You've got to be careful."

Rowan first rose to prominence on the BBC satirical sketch comedy Not the Nine O'Clock News.  He did not achieve worldwide fame, however, until he began playing the role of Mr. Bean.  Mr. Bean, the television series, aired from 1990 to 1995 on Britain's ITV network. There were 14 episodes and they were 25 minutes in length.

Mr. Bean is based on a character created by Atkinson while he was studying for his master's degree in Electrical Engineering at Queen's College, Oxford University.  Mr. Bean is usually attired in his trademark tweed jacket and thin, red tie.  He is self-cemtred, socially awkward and seldom speaks.  His best friend is Teddy, his beloved button-eyed teddy bear.  He lives alone in a tiny flat in Highbury, a district in the London borough of Islington and he drives a keylime British Leyland Mini 1000.  As for a first name, Mr. Bean doesn't really have one.  In the first film adaptation of the character, the first name on his passport reads "Mr."  In the second Mr. Bean film, he name is listed as "Rowan."

Mr. Bean with Teddy

Bean has zero finesse with women.  In several episodes of the television series, he has a girlfriend named Imma Gobb, portrayed by Matilda Ziegler.  Bean, of course, does not treat Imma graciously nor with much regard.  In a 1990 episode entitled "Mr. Bean Goes to Town," he takes her to a nightclub and the date turns out to be a disaster.  Bean ruins a magician's show and then loses Imma to another man on the dance floor.  To view a video of Mr. Bean's disastrous date, click on the link below.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeof8n_mr-bean-goes-on-date_fun

I'm partial to Mr. Bean's hilarious 1992 Christmas episode, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean."  It was Episode 7 of the television series and it marked the final appearance of Matilda Ziegler as Imma. I love the scene where a turkey is stuck on Bean's head.   "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean," was viewed by 18.48 million Britons.  The highest rated Bean episode, however, was Episode 5, "The Trouble with Mr. Bean." (originally aired on January 1, 1991).  It attracted an audience of 18.74 million viewers.

Rowan Atkinson has also starred in two Mr. Bean feature films, Bean: The Movie (1997) and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007).  In Bean: The Movie, the buffoonish Bean travels to American where he is given the responsibility of delivering a highly valuable work of art to a Los Angeles museum.  In Mr. Bean's Holiday, Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unintentionally separates a young boy from his father while discovering the joys of France, bicycling and romance.

A true innocent, Bean's humour comes from his lack of savvy, and his humour is physical.  It is the kind of universal slapstick comedy that can be enjoyed by all backgrounds and cultures.  Because so few words are spoken, one doesn't even have to speak English to understand and appreciate the Mr. Bean's humour. His comedic style is reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp."

Last summer, Rowan Atkinson did his Mr. Bean routine at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. In a memborable skit, he joined the orchestra playing one note on a synthesizer as they performed the theme from Chariots of Fire.  Feigning boredom, he snapped a photo with his phone, sneezed and then daydreamed.  The audience was then treated to a back-slapping parody of the opening sequence from Chariots of Fire in which Mr. Bean dreams of running along the beach with the Olympians in the film. With the assistance of a car, he crosses the finish line first.  Atkinson's performance at he Olympics sparked a barrage of tweets on Twitter.

To watch a video of the Chariots of Fire skit, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwzjlmBLfrQ 

I can't really fault Rowan Atkinson for his desire to stop playing the Mr. Bean character even though Bean remains extremely popular.  He probably wants new challenges and he doesn't relish the thought of being constantly typecast as a bumbling boy-man.  Rowan is clearly tired of playing Mr. Bean and he obviously can't do it forever.  He is now more interested in performing in live theatre and will soon play the title role in Quartermaine's Terms in London's West End.  Rowan Atkinson has to do what's right for him, even if his fans aren't happy about it.  He's got to follow his own instincts.

Note to Canadians: One of Mr. Bean's earliest appearances took place in 1987 when Rowan Atkinson performed at the Just for Laughs (Juste Pour Rire) Festival in Montreal.  He purposely performed in front of a French-speaking audience to see how his character would go over in front of a non-English-speaking crowd.


- Joanne

Looking back at Captain Kangaroo

Bob Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo

Captain Kangaroo, a round-faced, pleasant mustachioed man possessed of an unshakable calm . . . Captain Kangaroo was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced.

- From Bob Keeshan's obituary in The New York Times, January 24, 2004

Before Sesame Street, there was Captain Kangaroo. When I was a child here in Toronto, I always watched Captain Kangaroo on CBS's Buffalo affiliate.  The popular children's morning show was hosted by Bob Keeshan who played the role of the grandfatherly Captain Kangaroo.  With his wig of long grey hair and bangs (he sported a Beatles hairdo well before The Beatles came on the scene) and his trademark walrus moustache, Keeshan was a familiar figure to children for decades. His character was called Captain Kangaroo because of the large pockets in the oversized red jacket he always wore.

Robert James "Bob" Keeshan was born in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York on June 27, 1927.  He attended Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York. During World War II, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserves.  He never engaged in combat, having joined too late, and when Japan surrendered in 1945, Bob was still in the United States.  After leaving the service, he attended Fordham University in New York City.

Soon after the war, network programming began on a brand new medium called television.  Young Keeshan worked as a page at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).   In 1947, he commenced his on-screen career as the original Clarabell the Clown on NBC Puppet Playhouse, later known as The Howdy Doody Show.  Keeshan was fired as Clarabell on Christmas Eve of 1952 due to his strained relationship with the show's host, "Buffalo" Bob Smith.

In August of the same year, Bob was hired to develop Time for Fun, a lunchtime clown show on the ABC network's New York affiliated station.  Keeshan portrayed a gentle, quiet clown named Corny on the one-man show.. He later hosted a morning program, Tinker's Workshop, in which he played a toymaker.

When asked to create a children's show for a network, Bob Keeshan jumped at the opportunity and he came up with the idea for Captain Kangaroo.  On October 3, 1955, Captain Kangaroo began its extraordinary run of almost 30 years on the CBS television network.  In addition to playing the Captain, Keeshan performed as the Town Clown on the program.

In his review of Captain Kangaroo for the The New York Times, John P. Shanley wrote glowingly of the show..  He described it as "civilized and absorbing fun."  Shanley opined that parents were discovering that their weekday mornings were "more bearable because of the delightful artistry of Bob Keeshan."  He stated that Keeshan charmed the toddlers.

The program.was loosely structured and it took place in the "Treasure House."  At the show's opening,  Captain Kangaroo would unlock the Treasure House and he would wake up the snoring Grandfather Clock.  He would tell stories, meet guests and participate in stunts with both human characters and puppets.such as Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose and Dancing Bear.  Bunny Rabbit, a bespectacled hare, was always ready to snatch the Captain's carrots.  Mr. Moose would trick the Captain with a knock-knock joke and scores of  ping pong balls would fall on the Captain's head.

Click on the link below to watch the opening of the show in black and white episodes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3w7w58CREY 

Watch this video clip from a later colour episode of the show in which the ping pong balls fall on Captain Kangaroo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSpPyTNSlTU

Captain Kangaroo's sidekick was Mr. Green Jeans, a handyman who helped at the Treasure House.and who often showed the Captain the latest addition to his menagerie of zoo animals. As portrayed by Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum, Mr. Green Jeans always wore a straw hat was dressed in green farmer's overalls.  His moniker was derived from his distinctive outfit.  (He later dressed in jeans and a green denim jacket.)  Although the show was broadcast in black and white until 1966, most viewers were well aware of the colour of his attire.

In an interview with L. Wayne Hicks on the TVparty! website, Bob Keeshan praised Hugh Brannum and pointed out how Brannum was ahead of his time and that Mr. Green Jeans was really green in more ways than one.  When asked what Brannum brought to Captain Kangaroo, Keeshan replied, "He was talking about the environment in 1955 . . . .Nobody talked about the environment in those days, not certainly on a general program and certainly not one for children  . . . "He was a protester when they were building dams and rivers that would destroy homes and properties.  He was for clean water.  He was for clean air.  He was for non-fossil fuels . . .  His reverence for life was there.  It was for growing things, the vegetables and the plants he would literally bring from his farm in Pennsylvania."

The jeans were really green.

In addition to Mr. Green Jeans, the talented Hugh Brannum played the roles of several other minor characters such as The Professor, Greeno The Clown, The Old Folk Singer and Mr. Bainter the Painter.  Brannum died on April 19. 1987.  He was 77 years old at the time of this death.  Below is a 1960 photo of Brannum as Mr. Green Jeans celebrating the fifth anniversary of Captain Kangaroo with Dancing Bear (Cosmo Allegretto).

On December 8, 1984, Captain Kangaroo ended its run on CBS.  In 1986, however, the American Program Service (now American Public Television, Boston) combined some newly-made segments of the show with reruns of old episodes.  This new version of Captain Kangaroo aired until 1993.

Through the years, the show received many awards and accolades including six Emmy awards and three Peabodys.  It was innovative in many ways and it changed the complexion of children's television.  Bob Keeshan had a way of interacting with children.  He spoke directly into the camera, as if he were addressing each child individually.  He was an excellent communicator and he was able to educate his young audience in a fun way though the use of puppets and pranks. His message to children was to feel comfortable about themselves and he delivered that message calmly and in a soft-spoken manner.

In July of 1981, Bob Keeshan suffered a heart attack soon after arriving at Toronto's international airport.  He was then 54 years old and had come to the city to receive an award for his service to children.  He underwent triple-bypass surgery and was bombarded with thousands of get-well messages from his fans.

After Captain Kangaroo, Bob hosted CBS Storybreak in 1985.  The program featured animated versions of children's literature.  During his lengthy career, Keeshan never ventured into programming for adults.

Bob Keeshan in April, 1999

For many years, Bob Keeshan lived in Babylon Village, Long Island.  He spent the last 14 years of his life, however, in Norwich. Vermont, near the New Hampshire border.  He devoted his time to advocating for the welfare of children and he strongly opposed video game violence.  Keeshan was also an outspoken critic of corporal punishment and he served on the U.S. National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse.  In 1995, he published  his memoirs, Good Morning, Captain: 50 Wonderful Years with Bob Keeshan, TV's Captain Kangaroo.

Bob Keeshan died in Hartford, Vermont on January 23, 2004 at the age of 76.  He was predeceased by his wife of 45 years, Anne Jeanne Laurie Keeshan, who died on February 25, 1996.  The couple had three children: Michael Derek, Laurie Margaret and Maeve Jeanne.

- Joanne

The Munsters Quiz

TV BANTER QUIZ # 13

It's Halloween and what could be more appropriate than a quiz about The Munsters, a television series about a family of benign monsters?  How much do you know about this cult hit?  Test your knowledge by answering the 13 questions below.


1.  What was the name of Eddie Munsters' fire-breathing pet dinosaur?

A.  Fido

B.  Rover

C.  Drake

D. Spot

E.  Fluff



2.  Identify this character from The Munsters.

A.  Uncle Gilbert

B.  Cousin Drake

C.  Larry Lizard

D   Uncle Ralph

E.  Cousin Leonard



3.  For how many seasons did The Munsters run?

A.  Four

B.  Three

C.  Two

D.  Five

E.  Six




4.  What was Marilyn Munster's relationship to Herman and Lily Munster.

A.  She was the biological daughter of Herman and Lily Munster.

B.  She was their niece, the daughter of Lily's sister.

C.  Marilyn was an orphan and Lily and Herman adopted her.

D. She was the daughter of Herman's cousin, Boris.

E.  She was the daughter of a friend of the family.  Herman and Lily provided a home for her after her parents died in a car accident.



5.  What was Eddie Munster's full name?

Butch Patrick as Eddie Munster

A.  Edward Fang Munster

B.  Edgar Igor Munster

C.  Edwin Karloff Munster

D.  Edgar Hyde Munster

E.  Edward Wolfgang Munster.



6.  Where did the Munster's pet raven, Charlie, live?

A.  Charlie lived in a cage in the Munsters' kitchen.

B.  Charlie lived in the Munsters' cuckoo clock.

C.  Charlie was always perched in the Munsters' living room.

D.  Charlie lived in the Munsters' attic.

E.  Charlie lived in the Munsters' garage.



7.  There were two musical instruments in the Munsters' living room.  What were they?

A.  An accordion and a bongo drum

B.  A piano and a banjo

C.  An organ and a harp

D.  A saxophone and a guitar

E.  A xylophone and a harmonica



8.  Where did Herman Munster do for a living?

Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster

A.  He worked at a funeral home.

B.  He was employed as a grave digger.

C.  He worked at a morgue.

D.  He designed gravestones.

E.  He was a tombstone engraver.



9.  What was the name of Herman's boss?

A.  Mr. Garvey

B.  Mr.  Graves

C.  Mr. Ghostly

D.  Mr.  Gateman

E.  Mr. Greene



10.  Which legendary major league baseball manager appeared in a 1965 episode of The Munsters entitled "Herman the Rookie?"

A. Tommy Lasorda

B.  Leo Durocher

C.  Casey Stengel

D.  Sparky Anderson

E.  Yogi Berra



11.  What was the Munsters' address?

A.  13 Ghost Road

B.  1313 Grimly Crescent

C.  13 Thunder Lane

D.  13 Creepy Crescent

E.  1313 Mockingbird Lane



12.  Lily Munster wore a certain kind of jewellery.  What was it?

A.  It was a necklace shaped like a bat.

B.  I was a skull ring and it was her wedding ring.

C.  It was a a black brooch with her initials, "LM."

D.  A bracelet of skeleton bones.

E.  A Number 13 pendant.



13.  What was the name of the actor who portrayed Grandpa Munster?

Grandpa Munster

A.  Jackie Coogan

B.  Albert Crane

C.  Al Lewis

D.  John Meister

E.  Alexander Crane



ANSWERS

1.  D

Spot

The name of Eddie Munsters' fire-breathing pet dinosaur was Spot.  Spot, a T-Rex, lived under a staircase in the Munster home.  Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster) and Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster) concocted Spot by modelling him after the Tyranosaurus Rex  from the film One Million B.C.


2.  A

This character with the hat and scarf is Uncle Gilbert.  Uncle Gilbert, portrayed by Richard Hale, was a favourite relative on the Munster side of the family.  He resembled Gill-man from the film The Creature from the Black Lagoon


3.  C

The Munsters was not a long-running series.  It ran for only two seasons on CBS, from 1964 until 1966.  It was also broadcast weekly on BBC One in the United Kingdom.  70 episodes of the series were produced, all in black and white.  The first version of the pilot episode, "My Fair Munster," was filmed in colour, but was never aired.  A second version of the pilot also never aired, but the pilot story became the second episode of the first season.  It aired on October 1, 1964 and was entitled "My Fair Munster."  The plot involved Grandpa Munster's concern over Marilyn's inability to keep boyfriends.  In an effort to help her, he concocts a love potion and puts it in her oatmeal.  Someone else, of course, ends up eating the oatmeal.

Ratings for The Munsters plunged after Batman, starring Adam West,  premiered on the ABC network in January of 1966.  Batman was new and fresh and it was in full colour.  After its cancellation, The Munsters went into syndication and became a cult hit.

A full length Munster film, entitled Munster Go Home!, was released in 1966.  The plot revolved around Herman's discovery that he was the new lord of Munster Hall in England.  On October 26, 2012,  NBC broadcasted a modern version of The Munsters called Mockingbird Lane.as a Halloween special.  The network has the option of developing it into a full series.


4.  B

Beverley Owen as Marilyn Munster in 1964

Marilyn Munster was the nice of Lilly and Herman Munster, the daughter of Lily's sister.  Beverley Owen, who originated the role of Marilyn, left the show in late 1964 after only appearing in the first 13 episodes.  She left to marry her then-boyfriend. writer/producer/director Jon Stone who was living in New York.  They had two daughters, Polly and Kate, but divorced in 1974 after a decade together.  Stone directed Sesame Street form 1969 until 1994.  He died in New York of ALS on March 13, 1997.  As  for Owen, beginning in 1971, she had a two-year stint on the daytime drama Another World as Dr. Paula McCrea after which she left television to concentrate on live theatre.  She is now 75 years old.

After Beverley Owen's departure, Pat Priest assumed the role of Marilyn  for the remainder of the series.  Pat Priest, whose full name is Patricia Ann Priest, was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah.  she was born on August 15, 1936 and is now 76 years old.  Her mother, Ivy Baker Priest, was the United States Treasurer from 1953 to 1961.

Marilyn Munster, a beautiful young blonde, was the only member of the family who didn't have a ghoulish appearance.  The rest of the family considered her unattractive and she considered herself homely.  Potential boyfriends were frightened away by her family.  Although Marilyn was the daughter of Lilly's sister, she took on the name "Munster."


5.  E

Eddie and Wolf-Wolf doll

Eddie Munster's full name was Edward Wolfgang Munster. He resembled a werewolf and had a little werewolf doll called Wolf-Wolf.  Eddie was portrayed by former child actor Butch Patrick.  Born Patrick Alan Lilley in Los Angeles on August 2, 1953, he is now 59 years old.  In November of 2010, it was reported that Butch Patrick had entered a drug rehabilitation facility in New Jersey.  In 2011, he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer.


6.  B

Charlie the raven in cuckoo clock

The Munsters' pet raven, Charlie, lived in a cuckoo clock.  Charlie favourite expression was, "Never more"  as in the famous poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.  He had a habit of making sarcastic comments whenever one of the Munsters acted foolishly.  It is interesting to note that famed voice actor Mel Blanc (and
occasionally actor Bob Hastings) voiced Charlie.

7.  C

The two musical instruments in the Munsters' living room were an organ and a harp.  Herman played the organ in several episodes and Lily played the harp.


8.  A

Herman Munster was employed in a menial capacity at the funeral home.of Gateman, Goodbury & Graves but he was always searching for a better job.  Fred Gwynne, who portrayed, Herman, is also remembered for his role as Officer Francis Muldoon in Car 54, Where Are You? which ran from 1961 to 1963.  Gwynne had a baritone voice and he was 6 ft., 5 in.(1.96 m) tall.  Despite his height, he still wore elevator shoes when he played Herman Munster,  Fred Gwynne died of pancreatic cancer on July 2, 1993 at the age of 66.  He was survived by his second wife, Deborah Flater, whom he married in 1988, and his children from his first marriage to Jean "Foxy" Reynard.


9.  D

The name of Herman's boss at the funeral home was Mr. Gateman, whose first name was never given.  Although the name Gateman, Goodbury & Graves indicates three owners, Gateman appeared to be the sole proprietor of the company and he was never shocked by Herman's Frankenstein-like appearance.  John Carradine played the role of Mr. Gateman.


10.  B

Leo Durocher appeared as himself in "Herman the Rookie" (Season One, Episode 29, Air Date: April 8, 1965).  In the episode, Herman Munster hits a baseball with such force that it hits Durocher, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on the head from about seven blocks away.  Leo is so impressed by Herman's hitting power that he tracks him down and signs him up with the team.


11.  E

The Munsters lived in a spooky mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the town of Mockingbird Heights.  The location of Mockingbird Heights was never specified.


12.  A.

Lily Munster always wore a necklace shaped like a bat.  Canadian-born actress Yvonne De Carlo (a native of Vancouver, British Columbia) portrayed Lily Munster. De Carlo's long film career included roles in Criss Cross (1949) and The Ten Commandments (1956)  She married stuntman Robert Morgan in 1955 and
they had two sons, Bruce (born 1956) and Michael (born 1957, died 1997).  The marriage ended in divorce in 1974.  Yvonne De Carlo died of natural causes on January 8, 2007. in Woodland Hills, California.  She was 84 years old.


13.  C

Al Lewis portrayed Grandpa Munster, a vampire-like mad scientist.  Al was born in New York and his  birthdate is thought to be April 30, 1923.  From 1961 to 1963, Lewis was Fred Gwynne's castmate on Car 54, Where Are You?"  He played Officer Leo Schnauser on the show.

Al was married twice.  He wed Marge Domowitz in 1956 and they had three sons, Dave, Ted and Paul.  Al and Marge divorced in 1977.  In 1984, he married actress Karen Imgenthron and they remained together until Al's death.

From 1987 to 1993, Al Lewis operated an Italian restaurant in Greenich Village called Grampa's Bella Gente.  He died in a New York hospital of natural causes on February 3, 2006.  At the time of his death, he was a resident of Roosevelt Island, a narrow island in New York's East River.

Note: Grandpa Munster was Lily's father, although he was referred to as a Munster.


- Josnne

Peter Bergman: Smiling Jack Abbott

Peter Michael Bergman was born in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on June 11, 1953, the son of Walter Bergman, a United States Navy Officer.  He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His first notable television role was that of Dr. Cliff Warner on the daytime soap All My Children.  He portrayed Dr. Warner from 1979 until 1987 and from 1988 until 1989.

In 1986, Peter Bergman appeared in a Vicks Formula cough syrup commercial in which he declared, "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV.  To watch Peter's Vicks commercial, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S64gScpmWo

In 1989, Bergman joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as wealthy businessman Jack Abbott.  He replaced Terry Lester who originated the role of Jack Abbott back in 1980.  Lester had quit the show in frustration because he felt that his role was diminishing.  He died in 2003 at the age of 53 after suffering more than one heart attack.

Last Saturday, I saw Peter Bergman when he appeared at the National Women's Show here in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  I found him to be warm, personable and very funny. He has an excellent rapport with his fans.

It was one long, fast-paced question and answer session.  Peter said he likes Q & A sessions because they provide him with some input from the fans.  He is unhappy about Eileen Davidson's departure from The Young and the Restless and promised to do everything he can to bring her back to Geona City, the fictional town where The Young and the Restless takes place.  Eileen, who played Jack's sibling, Ashley Abbott, left because she was needed on Days of Our Lives (both soaps are produced by Sony Pictures).  Peter is also disappointed that Marcy Rylan, who portrays Jack Abbott's niece, Abby, has been cut from the show.

Peter joked about his highly publicized "feud" with Eric Braeden who plays his nemesis, Victor Newman, on the show.  In late December of 1991, Bergman and Braeden had a physical altercation backstage. They have since resolved their differences and learned to work together.  Peter, however, could not resist taking humorous potshots at Braeden's character, Victor Newman.  For instance, Newman has had a prominent portrait of himself on the wall in his office for many years.  Peter asked the audience, "What kind of person, does that?"

As for Jack Abbott's love life, Peter agreed that Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) is probably the best match for his character. He also doesn't like what the writers have done to the character of Jack's ex-wife, Sharon (Sharon Case).  He hopes that will be rectified soon.

Peter wants the show to return to its core families and storylines.  He opined that it was a mistake to have the character of John Abbott (Jack's father) die.  It may have been dramatic, but it removed the heart and soul of the Abbott family from the show.  Jerry Douglas, who played the Abbot patriarch, still appears on the show occasionally as the ghost of John Abbott or as Peter put it, "Jack's conscience."

The 59-year-old Bergman has been married twice.  He wed Tony Award-winning actress Christine Ebersole in 1976 and they divorced in 1981.  In 1985, he married Mariellen with whom he has two children, Clare and Connor. Peter proudly informed his audience at the National Women's Show that son Connor has just been called to the bar and will be an attorney.  His daughter Clare works for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association.

I had the final question of the session and I asked Peter if he had any big scoops for Y&R fans.  He thought for a moment and seemed genuinely disappointed that he did not have one.

Here are some photos I snapped at the National Women's Show in Toronto.

- Joanne

Lorne Greene: From Bonanza to Battlestar Galactica

For 14 seasons, Lorne Greene played all-American cowboy Ben Cartwright on the television Western, Bonanza.  Greene, however, was actually a Canadian boy.  He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on February 12, 1915, the only child of Daniel and Doris Green, Russian Jewish immigrants whose original name was Grinovsky.  Lorne's birth name was Lyon Himan Green but his mother referred to him as "Chaim."  At some point, he began calling himself Lorne and added an "e" to his last name.  In her 2004 biography, My Father's Voice: The Biography of Lorne Greene, his daughter, Linda Greene Bennett,  wrote that it is not known when he changed his name.

Greene attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, originally intending to pursue a career in chemical engineering. His heart, however, was in acting.  According to daughter Linda, in order to participate in the university's drama guild, "he altered his course registration, deleting chemical engineering and adding modern languages instead." During his years at Queen's, he became active in amateur theatre and as Linda put it, "began the uncertain journey to follow his dream."

After graduation, Lorne spent two years in New York studying drama.  He then settled in Toronto and worked as a radio broadcaster.  Gifted with rich-sounding vocals, he was so successful that he became the chief news broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) from 1939 until 1942.  The CBC billed him as "The Voice of Canada" and listeners nicknamed him "The Voice of Doom" because of the deep intonation of his sonorous voice and because of the grim events he reported to Canadians during the darkest days of World War II.

Lorne Greene as a CBC radio news anchor n 1942

Lorne Greene left the CBC in 1942 to serve as a flying officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force.  Following his service in the war, Greene returned to Toronto and pursued his interest  in radio broadcasting but did not resume his job as chief news announcer for the CBC.  Instead, he established the Toronto's Academy of Radio Arts and worked as an instructor there, teaching young people the fundamentals of radio broadcasting.  He also co-founded the Jupiter Theatre in Toronto.

In 1953, Lorne Greene headed to the United States where he performed on Broadway, in films and in the burgeoning new medium known as television.  During the 1950s he began appearing in various roles on live and filmed TV programs.  In 1953, he played Othello in a one-hour version of Shakespeare's classic.  In 1955, he was cast as Ludwig van Beethoven in an episode of You Are There, a CBS educational series hosted by Walter Cronkite.  The actor also appeared on the big screen.  He played the part of the prosecutor in the 1957 film Peyton Place and appeared as Mercier in The Buccaneers, a 1958 historical epic about the Battle of New Orleans directed by Anthony Quinn.

Lorne Greene's big break came in 1959 when an American producer, David Dortot, noticed him in a minor role on the television Western, Wagon Train. Dortot was impressed by the actor's performance and thought he would be perfect for the part of the father figure  in a new Western he was developing for NBC.   Greene then won his first continuing role on a television series when he was cast as Ben Cartwright, the family patriarch on Bonanza.  Greene's character, the thrice-widowed Ben, guided his three sons (each by a different wife) and defended the prosperous family's sprawling ranch, known as The Ponderosa.  Bonanza became a staple of NBC's Sunday night line-up for years and Greene's portrayal of the tough but wise "P:a" Cartwright made him a household name.

Lorne Greene based his portrayal of Ben Cartwright on his own father, Daniel, the Ottawa shoemaker,  That's the reason why he was able to play the play the part of the patriarch so well.  As a child, whenever he misbehaved, Daniel would give him "one of those looks."  On the Ponderosa, Lorne would give his television sons, Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon), "the same look" if they acted up.

After Bonanza went off the air in 1973, Lorne Greene starred in the  NBC crime drama, Griff.  The series was short-lived, but for Greene it was an attempt to replace his Pa Cartwright image with a more contemporary role.  In Griff, he played Wade Griffin, a veteran police captain who, after resigning from the force on a matter of principle, decided to start his own business as a private investigator.  Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled after a mere 13 episodes.

Duing the 1970s, Lorne Greene appeared in three popular television mini-series: The Moneychangers (1976), Roots (1977) and The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977)  In The Moneychangers, based on Arthur Hailey's novel about the politics and greed inside a major American Bank, Greene played the part of George Quartermain.  In Roots, he appeared as John Reynolds, the first master of Kunta Kinte.  In The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, an alternate history of what might have happened if Lee Harvery Oswald had gone on trial for the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he starred as Matthew Arnold Watson.alongside Ben Gazzara as Anson "Kip" Roberts and John Pleshette as Oswald.

For many years, Lorne Greene was the chief spokesman for Alpo, a beef-flavoured dog food, on its television commercials.  When he died, Alpo's ad agency announced that he would not be replaced by another celebrity spokesman for its product.

Click below to watch some of Lorne Greene's Alpo ads.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xs9vrp_lorne-greene-doing-an-alpo-commercial-1977_shortfilms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o70tS4AfG50

Click below to view a 1979 Alpo ad with Lorne Green and Victoia Principal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v175RFewZe4

In 1978, Lorne Greene took the lead role in a much-hyped ABC science fiction series Battlestar Galactica.  The series centred on some human refugees Greene portrayed Adama, the silver-haired commander of the Galactica.  The show was full of costly special effects and laser battles.  It was so similar to Star Wars that the producers of Star Wars sued ABC for "stealing' their film.  Despite the initial hype, rating for the show declined and it was cancelled after a single season.  It returned, however, in early 1980 in a revamped form and with a new title, Galactica 1980.  Lorne Greene was the only remaining member of the original cast.

From 1981 until 1982, Greene starred in yet another short-lived television series. The series, entitled Code Red, was produced by Irwin Allen and it aired on ABC on Sunday evenings.  This time Greene played Joe Rorchek, a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department.  Rorchek, an arson investigator, was the patriarch of a family of firefighters and Julie Adams portrayed his wife, Ann.   The show was instructional and provided lessons in fire safety.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Lone Greene devoted much of his time to ecological and wildlife issues.  From 1974 to 1975, he hosted a syndicated nature series entitled "Last of the Wild."  ,From 1982 until 1986, he hosted  Lorne Greene's New Wilderness, a Canadian nature documentary series that promoted environmental awareness.  It was a half-hour compilation of footage showing wildlife for which Greene provided on-camera and voice-over narration. The CTV series garnered high ratings in Canada  and  it also enjoyed success when it was syndicated in the United States and in other countries.

Lorne Greene was married twice. His first wife was Rita Hands of Toronto.  Lorne and Rita wed in 1938 (some sources say they were married in 1940) and divorced in 1960.  They  were the parents of twins, Belinda Susan and Charles, born in 1945. Belinda (now known as Linda Greene Bennett) became the author of the aforementioned biography of her father. Charles Grreene was co-producer, along with documentary producer/writer Stephen Dewar, of Lorne Greene's New Wilderness.

Lorne Greene's second spouse was Nancy Deale, whom he wed on December 17. 1961.  They remained together until Lorne's death and they raised a daughter, Gillian Dania,.who was born in Los Angeles on January 6, 1968.  Nancy Deale Greene died of cancer in Marina del Rey, California on March 2, 2004.  Gillian Greene married film producer, director and actor Sam Raimi in 1993.  Raimi is best known for directing cult horror/ comedy films.  They have five children.

Lorne Greene died of complications from pneumonia in Santa Monica, California on September 11, 1987.  His death occurred after he had undergone surgery for a perforated ulcer.  The 72-year-old had been scheduled to reprise his role as Ben Cartwright in Bonanza: The Next Generation, a syndicated television movie.  Due to Lorne's  health problems, the script had already been altered so that his part would be less physically taxing.  He was eventually replaced by veteran actor John Ireland who played Ben's brother, Aaron Cartwright.

Bonanza: The Next Generation aired in 1988 and featured Lorne's own daughter, Gillian Greene, in the role of Jennifer Sills and Michael Landon, Jr. as Benjamin "Benji" Cartwright.


END NOTES

* During his radio days, Lorne Green invented a stopwatch that ran backwards.  It was designed to help radio announcers determine how much time they had available while they were broadcasting.

* In 1964, Lorne Greene had a Number #1 hit in the United States with his recording of "Ringo," a spoken-word song about a real-life Old West Outlaw.named Johnny Ringo.

* Lorne Greene appeared in a 1985 episode of Michael Landon's series Highway to Heaven (Season 2, Episode 8, Air Date: November 20, 1985).  Greene played a character named Fred Fusco in this episode about the lead actor in a Broadway play who insists that God is attending the show's performances in an orchestra seat.

* Lorne Greene has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on October 28, 1969.

To watch a television news report of Lorne Greene's death, click on the link below.


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gjgb_headline-news-on-the-death-of-lorne_shortfilms


- Joanne

Victoria Principal: Will she return to Dallas?

The new Dallas seems to be a success.  Ratings are good and the TNT series has been renewed for another season of 15 new episodes.  It's great to see Larry Hagman play the dastardly J.R. Ewing again.  He's older and more frail, but he still has that glint in his eyes.  Linda Gray is back as Sue Ellen, although that storyline about Sue Ellen running for governor of Texas defies credulity.  With all Sue Ellen's baggage, it's even difficult to imagine her running for mayor of Dallas.  I'm pleased that Patrick Duffy has also returned as Bobby Ewing, J.R.'s earnest but self-righteous younger brother (although I could probably do without that storyline about Bobby's cancer).  Barbara Bel Geddes, who played Ewing matriarch, Miss Ellie, died in 2005. Jim Davis, who portrayed patriarch Jock Ewing, passed away in 1981 and Jock's death was written into the original series.  By the way, whatever happened to that portrait of Jock Ewing that J.R. and Bobby always looked at for inspiration?

In the new Dallas, there's a good mix of older favourites with younger actors such as Josh Henderson as John Ross Ewing and Jesse Metcalfe as Christopher Ewing.  This integration of classic characters with a whole new generation has been quite well done.  It's also interesting that environmental concerns about oil have been included in the new version of the show.  This is a much-need update because if the series is to have relevance in 2012, it can't remain in a 1980s or early 1990s time warp.  It has to attract younger audiences, particularly those who who have no memory of the original Dallas.

In the early episodes of the new Dallas, John Ross Ewing was shown to be cartoonishly evil, a younger and perhaps more ruthless version of his father, J.R.  As the first season ended, his character seemed to be less one dimensional.  As for Bobby and his adopted son, Christopher, they also have similar personalities, although Christopher may be a bit rougher around the edges.

One person is conspicuous by her absence.and that person is Victoria Principal. Victoria played Bobby Ewing's former wife, Pamela Barnes Ewing from 1978 until 1987. When her character last appeared on Dallas, Pam had learned she had a terminal illness and had left Bobby and son Christopher in order to die in peace.  Meanwhile Bobby is now married to Ann, played by Brenda Strong.

Many fans have been clamouring for Victoria Principal's  return to the revamped version of the show.  In the world of prime time soaps, a terminal illness can be easily overcome.  There is nothing preventing Victoria's character from returning to Dallas.  So, will she reprise her role as Pam.?  If not, why not?

Well, Dallas fans, I'm afraid there is not much chance of that happening.  I wouldn't rule it out completely, but the odds are very slim that Victoria Principal will return to the show that made her a star.  Victoria owns a successful skincare line, Principal Secret, and hasn't appeared on the screen for several years. After over 20 years of marriage, she divorced her plastic surgeon husband, Dr. Harry Glassman, in 2006 and moved to Malibu, California.

Although it's no secret that the producers of the new Dallas want Victoria to return, it doesn't appear to be in the cards.  In an exclusive interview with Assignment X (posted August 12, 2012), executive producer Michael M. Robin stated that Principal "indicated that it's something she's not interested in."

In the interview, Robin suggested that other actors from the original series could return.  He said, "As far as we're concerned, everyone who was in the old show could be in this show.  And it's just about where the storytelling takes you.but we can revisit anyone who is in the mythology of the series."  Fan favourites such as Joan van Ark (Valene Ewing) and Ted Shackelford (Gary Ewing) have been mentioned as possibilities by showrunner and executive producer Cynthia Cydrie.  Just don't expect to see the return of Victoria Principal - unless she has a change of heart.


- Joanne

The Elegant Stefanie Powers

Stefanie Powers is best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the popular series Hart to Hart.  She also had a stint as April Dancer in 1960s spy spoof The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.   The graceful, elegant redhead is as active as ever as she approaches her 70th birthday.

Stefanie Powers was born Stefanie Zofya Paul on November 2, 1942 in Hollywood, California.  Her parents divorced when she was very young and Stefanie became estranged from her father.  She remained close, however, to her mother, Julianna Dimitri, (nee Golan), a woman of Polish background.

Stefanie attended Hollywood High School where she was a cheerleader.  At the age of 15, she was signed to a movie contract with Columbia Pictures and was touted as one of the brightest young rising stars in Hollywood.  In the early 1960s, Stefanie appeared in several motion pictures in supporting roles.  In 1965, she had a more substantial part opposite screen veteran Tallulah Bankhead in the horror film Die! Die! My Darling (originally released in Britain as The Fanatic).

Stefanie made her first appearance on a television series in 1960 in The Case of the Dangerous Robin, a syndicated action/adventure show.  At that time, she performed under the name Taffy Paul.  It wasn't until 1962 that she began calling herself Stefanie Powers.  Stefanie's early television work included appearances in both Bonanza and Route 66 in 1963.

In the Bonanza episode entitled "Calamity over the Comstock" (Season 5, Episode 7, Air Date: November 3, 1963).  Stefanie portrays Martha Jane "Calamity Jane" Canary who causes plenty of trouble for the Cartwright family when Little Joe (Michael Landon) brings her home to the Ponderosa after rescuing her from a prairie raid.  In the Route 66 episode entitled "A Cage in Search of a Bird" (Season 4, Episode 9, Air Date: November 29, 1963),  she plays Julie, a young woman who becomes involved with a Depression Era bank robber.

In 1966, Stefanie won her first starring role in a television series in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., a spin-off from the popular The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. was a campy spy spoof and it only lasted one season.  29 one-hour episodes of the show were produced in which Stefanie's male co-star was Englishman Noel Harrison, son of screen and stage legend Rex Harrison.

Stefanie had another starring role in the 1976-1977 television drama The Feather and Father Gang.  She played a lawyer named Toni "Feather" Danton who solved crimes along with her shrewd ex-con man father, Harry Danton, and a small group of grafters.  The role of Harry Danton was played by the late Harold Gould who is best known as Martin Morgenstern in Rhoda.  The Feather and Father Gang was short-lived and only 14 episodes of the series were produced.

During the 1970s, Powers had numerous guest roles on such popular television series such as McCloud (1971) (1973), The F.B.I. (1972), The Mod Squad (1972), Kung Fu (1974), The Rockford Files (1975) and The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman (1976).  She appeared on The Mod Squad in an episode entitled "The Connection" (Season 5, Episode 1, Air Date: September 14, 1972) in which she played the part of Francie Drango.  In the episode, the squad goes into action after Captain Greer is wounded by fake police and four suitcases of heroin are stolen.

In 1972, Stefanie Powers began a nine year relationship with Oscar-winning actor William Holden.  The two shared an interest in animal welfare and wildlife conservation.  In her 2010 autobiography One from the Hart, Stefanie writes that she first set eyes on William Holden at a New Year's Eve party given by writer and investigative journalist Dominick Dunne and his wife, Lennie.  Here's how she describes her first encounter with Holden.

I blushed.  He smiled.  He said, "Hi, Bill Holden."  I somehow made a sound resembling speaking and said my name.  (Costume designer) Moss (Mabry) returned.  Bill lifted his glass, said, "Happy New Year," and moved on.  His smile always lit up a room, and when he walked away the temperature of the air seemed to drop.

Bill Holden died on November 12, 1981.  He was found alone and intoxicated in his apartment in Santa Monica, California.  Sadly, he had slipped on a rug, lacerated his forehead on a table and bled to death.  After his passing. Stefanie initiated the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at his Mount Kenya Game Ranch.

Stefanie has been married twice and she has no children.  In 1966, she wed actor Gary Lockwood, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Frank Poole in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The marriage lasted until 1972.  On April 1, 1993,  she married a French aristocrat named Patrick Houitte de la Chesnais.  They divorced in 1999.

Wagner and Powers as the Harts

Stefanie first met Robert Wagner in 1961 prior to being removed from her role as a "Jet girl" in West Side Story because she was only 15 years old.  In 1970 she appeared in an episode of Wagner's series It Takes a Thief.  In Hart to Hart, they teamed up as Jennifer and Jonathan Hart, one of the most glamorous couples on television in the 1980s.  Hart to Hart aired from 1979 until 1984 on the ABC Network.  The series, created by Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, ran for five seasons (110 episodes). It was pure escapism.

Robert Wagner played wealthy industrialist Jonathan Hart and Stefanie played his journalist wife, Jennifer.  The couple moonlighted as amateur detectives, solving murders with the assistance of their loyal butler, cook and chauffeur, the gravelly-voiced, cigar-smoking Max.  Lionel Stander, who portrayed Max, passed away in Los Angeles on November 30, 1994.    He was 86 at the time of his death from lung cancer.

Between 1993 and 1996, Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner reprised their roles in a series of  eight Hart to Hart made-for-television films (five on NBC and three on the Family Channel).  Powers and Wagner also appeared together on stage in a four-week run of Love Letters in London's West End followed by a tour of the play in many U.S. cities and in Canada.

In recent years, Stefanie Powers has struggled with a serious health issue.  A former smoker, she was diagnosed with a form of lung cancer in 2008.  On January 29, 2009, Stefanie underwent surgery to remove part of her right lung.  The surgery was performed a week after the death of her beloved 96-year-old mother.

In January of 2011, Stefanie and Robert Wagner had a special Hart to Hart reunion in Beverly Hills.  The event took place at Beverly Hills' Paley Centre For Media and the duo discussed their series.  Click below to read a report on the reunion with photographs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1328769/Robert-Wagner-Stefanie-Powers-reunited-special-event-Beverly-Hills.html


END NOTES

* Stefanie Powers is a skilled linguist and speaks several languages.  In an episode in the first season of Hart to Hart she demonstrates her ability to speak Spanish.  The episode is entitled "Passport to Murder."

* The ranch-style home of Jennifer and Jonathan Hart was originally owned by Hollywood actor Dick Powell.

* In 2000-2001, Stefanie played the role of Jane Powers in the British soap opera Doctors.

* Stefanie and Robert Wagner appeared on CNN's Larry King Live in the 1990s.  To view a video of their appearance on the show, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hchX_95kKZ8


- Joanne