One of the Greatest Dramatic Scenes in Movie History

Any time I'm doing a close, dramatic scene, I watch this perfect piece of acting / cinematic magic. No cuts.

This scenario was all too true, Garland ended up in the hospital under these same circumstances. She and Dirk Bogarde re-wrote this scene themselves.

The entire role was most certainly based on Judy's downwardly spirally life, an okay film overall with a number of remarkable scenes - but then the star did walk away before it was finished. It was her last motion picture.

Reverend Ike & the Joy of Money!

"If you want 'pie-in-the-sky when you die' then Rev. Ike is not your man. If you want your pie now, with ice cream on top, then see and hear Rev. Ike on TV." So reads the copy from newspaper ads touting The Joy of Living with Rev. Ike

Millions of mostly poor people tuned in each week to hear the pleaful sermon from the flamboyant Reverend Ike, who drove flashy Cadillacs and stood at the pulpit dripping in gold chains and diamond rings.


No, this wasn't a sitcom, this show was a 'serious' Sunday morning religious show from the early Seventies.

Reverend Ike (real name Frederick Eikerenkoetter) was one of the first television evangelists who shamelessly pandered for cash and was openly proud of what he spent it on - sparkling jewelry, new cars and beautiful women.

The good reverend toned it down a bit in the late-seventies amid criticism that he was too much of a show-off - but he always defended himself by saying there was nothing wrong with a prosperous man of God.

After all, as Reverend Ike himself was quick to say, "The LACK of money is the root of all evil."

Amen, brother!

Early, Funny Woody Allen

This Woody Allen molestation thing - oy vey! I have nothing to say about that.

As a kid I liked the early Woody that appeared on TV in the 1960s and early 1970s. It was so infrequent - but he always delivered.

One of the first times America saw Woody Allen was this classic prank from Candid Camera:

 

In the 1960s Woody had to go on British TV to do his standup act, it was inspired hilarity!

 

More on Woody Allen's early TV career!

Wally Wood's Infamous Disney Orgy Illustration

In 1967 The Realist magazine published an unsigned cartoon that depicted the beloved Disney characters engaging in an orgy of epic proportions. Mickey shooting up, Snow White being attacked by the drawfs, Tinkerbell as a stripper, all courtesy of the twisted mind of MAD artist Wally Wood.

Disney chose not to sue in order to keep this under wraps - not so with The Air Pirates a decade later, now THAT was hilarious!

Peggy from Mannix: The Spectacular Rise & Fall of Gail Fisher

MANNIX and GAIL FISHER

I've been watching the third season of Mannix on DVD. I liked this show as a kid, I was especially fond of Mannix' secretary Peggy played by Gail Fisher.

Some of the episodes are quite effective, many are boiler plate TV dramas of the era, but one thing that struck me was the superb cinematography with unusual camera angles and inventive setups.

No doubt about it, the Mannix theme song is one of the most exciting in TV history.



Gail Fisher one of the first blacks to ever have a major role on a TV program; Mannix aired from 1967-1975, Fisher joined the cast in 1878. She was also the first black female to be seen on camera and have lines in a national TV commercial, that was in the early-1960s.

In 1972 she stated, ''Well, certain people who had no knowledge of blacks have maybe -- maybe -- learned something because of 'Mannix's' Peggy Fair.' Blacks were pretty much alien objects on TV as recently as 10 years ago, you know, and now we're people. I think maybe before it's all over, it's going to be all right, and I'm proud I'm a part of that.''

She won an Emmy for the role of Peggy, the first black actress to do so, and was nominated another four times. She was nominated for a Golden Globe four times becoming the first black actress to win that award, she won it twice - and she couldn't get another TV gig? For whatever reason Gail Fisher virtually disappeared from TV after Mannix was cancelled in 1975.

She developed a troubled personal life including problems with bad marriages and drugs, no doubt fueled by the industry's lack of interest. She made headlines in 1978 when she was busted for possession of pot and coke and for using an illegal phone device.

She was an actress with grace and style at a time when you could count on one hand the number of black women who had ever been a regular on a network television show. Gail Fisher died in 2000 of kidney failure, she was 65.

The Mysterious Death Of Johnny Carson's Tea-Time Girl

You may find this story difficult to believe but it's true.

If you watched the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson during the seventies, you may remember sexy Carol Wayne. She was the big-busted, bubbly Matinee Lady of the 'Tea Time Movies with Art Fern' sketches that began in 1971 and stayed popular throughout the decade.

The Art Fern sketches have been removed from You Tube, all but this little bit:



Carol Wayne was also a frequent guest on game shows like Celebrity Sweepstakes and The Hollywood Squares, she also made quite a bit of money doing personal appearances. She had the ability to make the most innocent remark seem like a dirty joke with her little girl voice, wide "innocent" eyes and ultra-ample bosom.



It was an oft-told joke that Carol Wayne could never drown with those large flotation devices of hers - but ironically that's exactly how she did die. To this day, the exact circumstances leading up to her death in 1985 remain a mystery.

Carol Wayne had no way of knowing but her troubles began in 1980 when Johnny Carson threatened to quit his lucrative role as host of the popular 'Tonight' show. He wanted the show cut from ninety-minutes to sixty. The network was having a very bad year, and Carson was its biggest profit center at the time. NBC had no choice but to reluctantly agree, freeing up this time led to the creation of 'Late Night with David Letterman', which became another hot property for the network and Carson Productions - so everyone came out a winner.

Everyone but Carol Wayne. The new sixty-minute format meant less time for skits starring familiar characters like Aunt Blabby, Floyd R. Turbo, and Art Fern. As a result, Carol Wayne's appearances on the 'Tonight' show became fewer and farther between.

At the very same time the game show craze that hit so big in the 1970s was over, that work dried up as well. In 1980, she divorced her husband, bestselling writer Burt Sugarman, four years later a thin, pale Carol Wayne declared bankruptcy due in large part to a cocaine and alcohol problem. It was said the entertainer was working as an 'escort' for wealthy businessmen in order to make a living.

According to published reports, Carol Wayne was on vacation in Santiago Bay, Mexico with Los Angeles car salesman Edward Durston on January 10, 1985 when (it has been reported) the couple had a argument about where they were going to stay that evening (they were scheduled to fly back to Los Angeles the next morning).

Durston checked into a hotel and Wayne reportedly left to walk down the beach (to cool off?). That was the last time anyone saw her alive. Three days later a local fisherman found her limp body floating in shallow bay waters, four feet deep. She was fully clothed, no cuts or abrasions; a fall from the nearby rocks was ruled out. The coroner stated that death had occurred 3 - 4 days earlier and the body tested negative for drugs and alcohol. Carol Wayne could not swim, for that reason she did not like to go too near the water. How then did she happen to be found dead in calm and shallow waters?

Suspicions were raised almost immediately. The TV star had to be identified by workers at the Las Hadas resort where the couple had been staying earlier in the week. They discovered that Edward Durston had checked out three days earlier - leaving Wayne's luggage at the airport with a message that she would pick up her bags in the morning. "Carol Wayne's death is unsolved, certainly," the U.S. Consular William LaCoque was quoted as saying in 1990. "But I don't think it was a drowning. A drowning, yes, of course, but there is much more to it than that."

What more, we may never know but the story does get weirder - in 1969 popular daytime TV host Art Linkletter's daughter Diane jumped - or fell - from a sixth floor apartment building. Art Linkletter's highly successful television career virtually came to an end after he started crusading against drugs.

Diane Linkletter's companion the night she was killed was Edward Durston.

Awesome 1988 McDonald's Commercial Packed with Classic TV Characters

Iconic TV characters like Jed Clampett, Mrs. Cleaver and Eddie Haskell, Grandpa Munster, and Gilligan all gathered together for this spot. Delightful!



Notice in the opening that Maxwell Smart is in the car but doesn't appear otherwise... there was a second version:

Unseen Holocaust documentary directed by Alfred Hitchcock

A long forgotten about documentary on the Holocaust directed by Alfred Hitchcock and suppressed for political reasons is about to be restored and released for the first time in complete form. Here's more on the story.

 

Will Smith on the Death of Uncle Phil

 James Avery, the wonderfully funny actor who played Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air has passed, here's the reaction from co-star Will Smith.

"Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery," Smith wrote. "Every young man needs an Uncle Phil. Rest in Peace."

Avery died Dec. 31 at age 68 in Glendale.

Jackie Gleason's TV Mega-Bomb

The original 'Jackie Gleason Show' aired on CBS from 1952-1955 as a traditional hour-long variety show. In 1955, the series was pared to thirty-minutes and featured exclusively one of the regular sketches from the show - 'The Honeymooners. The show returned to an hour format in the fall of 1956 for one season.

"The Great One" (as he was known) returned to television in October of 1958 in a live, thirty-minute variety show - but Gleason stopped production after a three-month run stating: "Anytime quality has a deadline, it's got to deteriorate. You can strive for quality week in and week out, but you won't often get it because it can't be manufactured within a specific time."

Switching gears, Gleason's next TV project was a game show. Games were big in the ratings, Groucho was having tremendous success with You Bet Your Life on NBC. You're in the Picture was added to the CBS schedule on January 20, 1961 to replace the poorly performing sitcom 'Mr. Garland', Friday nights at 9:30. How's this for a premise - celebrity contestants stick their heads into a painted scene, and they have to guess what the scene is, or what historical figure they represent by asking the emcee questions.

The celebrity contestants for that first (and as it turned out ONLY broadcast) episode included Jan Sterling, Keenan Wynn, Aurthur Treacher, and Pat Carroll.


Jackie Gleason : "You're in the Picture" by werquin


Cope Robinson writes: "Well, I saw 'You're In The Picture' too. From the control room at some CBS theatre for I had bought the program. I, or rather my company, was the sponsor.

"Jackie and the people at William Morris, his agency, had put the production together. Together with CBS, they pitched the program to me and a few others at Liggett & Myers. I remember thinking that the show could be risky for it was quite removed from anything that Gleason had done and the premise of celebrities sticking their heads through a painted plywood board and quessing what historical character they were supposed to be was pretty shaky.

"But I think I thought that since Jackie Gleason was at the peak of his career, he could pull off a silly game show with the same success Groucho Marx was enjoying on NBC.

"It was a huge bomb! Everybody knew it. Gleason, William Morris, CBS, and, for sure, Liggett & Myers. The real question after the first show was what do we do now.

"I don't remember who came up with the idea for the second show, probably Gleason himself. Nor do I recall that CBS wanted to continue with the game show. If they did, they didn't tell me and I can add if they had they would have done so without this sponsor.

"I should have known that things would go wrong when at the first script rehearsal, the first meeting for the show, Gleason asked before the start, "Who is the GREAT ONE?" A chorus rang out, "You are!" That began an association with the greatest egotist I have ever known."

Selling this military collectible - Stars & Stripes signed by Bob Hope

This copy of Stars & Stripes was signed by Bob Hope, my grandfather was in JAG during WWII and met Bob. All he had on him for an autograph was that morning's fresh copy of Stars & Stripes. It sat folded in a drawer until I found it. My mother told me this story and that is Bob Hope's signature.

July 13, 1945 - the war is ours to win, this date is significant in that it was the day of the Oak Ridge Petition in which atomic scientists approved the use of atomic bombs, "particularly against cities, be sanctioned by you as the Chief Executive." Basically giving the green light to drop the bombs. Of course, you wouldn't have read about THAT anywhere!

On the cover - Admiral Halsey - (apparently he did get to sea.)

Here's the Ebay listing!

Hilarious 1970s Game Show

One of my guilty pleasures from years past was The New Treasure Hunt from the mid-1970s starring Geoff Edwards, a master at wringing comical moments and over-the-top reactions out of the contestants.

The premise could not have been simpler or more random - each audience member opened a package to determine which one of them will be invited on to the stage for a chance to win cars, boats or even $25,000. That was huge money for a game show in the 1970s.

Based on a game show from the fifties (Treasure Hunt), this Chuck Barris production is my favorite game show of all time. This was Geoff Edwards' shining moment - emotionally torturing his overly-excited contestants for laughs.



No skill or knowledge was needed on The New Treasure Hunt, it was a lot like Deal or No Deal - two contestants on each episode got to choose from thirty wrapped packages displayed center stage.



They had a shot at the usual game show prizes (washer-dryers and Turtle Wax) or a chance at the grand prize - a check for $25,000 (that's about $125,000 in today's dough). It later increased to $50,000. Quite a few people found the check which heightened the excitement. There were also booby prizes called "clunks" interspersed with the prizes. The way Edwards would tease the contestants mercilessly before delivering the verdict was nothing short of brilliant. And the silly skits somehow worked when Geoff Edwards performed them.



To prolong the suspense, the host would peek into the boxes before the contestant got a look and go through a number of fake-outs before he sprung the actual prize on them. In so many cases, the contestant would be a large black woman who went absolutely berserk at the prospect of winning a big prize, jumping up and down, screaming at the top of her lungs and pummeling the poor host.

Part game show, part wrestling match - Geoff Edwards often ended the show on the floor or off to the side of the stage. This led to some degree of criticism that the show was overly exploitive.



The announcer on The New Treasure Hunt was Johnny Jacobs. Game show producer / host Chuck Barris wrote the show's lovely, melodic end theme.

Awesome New Movies Added to Netflix Streaming

These incredible movies were added to Netflix streaming on January 1 including:

"West Side Story" (1961)
"American Psycho" (2000)
"Raging Bull" (1980)
"The Brady Bunch Movie"
"Bull Durham"
"Juice"
"Three coins in the Fountain" "Thelma And Louise" (1991)
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" (1993)
"Big Trouble In Little China" (1986)
"Breakfast At Tiffany's" (1961)
"3 Women"
"The Amityville Horror" (1979) "Bull Durham" (1988)
"Red Dawn" (1984)
"Spaceballs" (1987)
"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979)
"The Chinese Connection" (1972)
"Grapes Of Wrath" (1940)
"Planes, Trains, And Automobiles" (1987)
"Harlem Nights"
"High Anxiety"
"The Day The Earth Stood Still" (1951)
"The Talented Mr Ripley" (1999)
"Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970)
"Death Race 2000" (1975)

ALSO: Dexter seasons 5-8

The Gong Show

In the mid-seventies, the game show genre was suddenly enjoying a popular revival, thanks to the success of 'The Price Is Right', Match Game' and others from Goodman/Todman Productions.

Networks unveiled new game concepts at a frantic pace for daytime and syndication. Producer Chuck Barris and variety show writer/producer Chris Bearde ('The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour') were producing The Bobby Vinton Show for syndication when they sold ABC on the idea of a daily talent / game show. The acts featured would be both the best and worst they could find, with an emphasis on the bad. Think daily American Idol auditions.

Chuck Barris was responsible for some of the most popular programs of the Sixties, primetime and daytime hits like 'The Dating Game' and 'The Newlywed Game'. These pseudo-game shows fed off of an individual's willingness to do anything to be on television, 'The Gong Show' would take that premise a step further. ABC bought the show for nighttime syndication, to debut in the fall of 1976. Filmed at KGO-TV in San Francisco, the audience reaction was enormous.

'The Gong Show' had a simple premise: If an act didn't get the gong from one of the three celebrity panelists (usually featuring the lovely Jaye P. Morgan), they would be scored on a 1-10 scale. The contestant with the highest score wins the 'grand' prize.

The prize amount low ($516.32) to keep it from being too important to anyone and professionals weren't allowed to compete for the grand prize. Instead they were paid the actor's union scale for their performance - $516.32. ($712.05 was the take on the syndicated nighttime version, later an even thousand).

This is the most infamous episode of The Gong Show with the Popsicle Twins - when you see what these provocatively dressed girls do with their frozen treats you'll know why NBC hit the roof!



Host Gary Owens was an old friend from 'Laugh-in'," Chris Bearde said at the time, "So were most of the panelists - Arte Johnson, Joanne Worley, Dick Dawson and Adrienne Barbeau. People were literally rolling in the aisles, really out of control."

The reaction to the first filmed episode was so strong Barris was able to sell NBC on a daytime version of 'The Gong Show'. Bearde would produce the nighttime version and Barris the daytime show. NBC was having a lot of trouble finding an audience for their lame game show offerings in 1976, they wanted a different host for their daytime version. Chuck Barris tried out different people before settling on John Barbour (later of 'Real People'). Frustrated with the results, Barris fired Barbour and took over hosting duties himself because taping day for the first week was too close to hire anyone else.



The NBC version actually beat the syndicated version on the air by several months, an instant hit. Chuck Barris eventually took over the nighttime hosting duties on 'The Gong Show' as well, firing Gary Owens and buying out Chris Bearde. Gary Owens was upset by his ousting: "You were working at a disadvantage, doing a show the producer wanted to do himself."        

The show was a true phenomenon with T-shirts, a best-selling book and even a major motion picture release. It made 70's icons out of 'The Unknown Comic' and 'Gene, Gene the Dancing Machine'.

Ten shows were taped over the weekend, with snacks and drinks (including alcohol) between tapings. Some of the celebrities would get pretty drunk as the day wore on. During one infamous filming, Jaye P. Morman ripped open her top and exposed her boobs - but then, she had a reputation for being a wild woman.

Chuck Barris was philosophical about the success of the Gong Show; "All I want to do is make the bread, put it in the bank and live happily ever after." Here's a plea . . . Chuckie baby, come back, all is forgiven!!!

The Highest Rated Half Hour Sitcom Episode of all Time!

The Beverly Hillbillies scored the highest numbers for a television program ever on January 15, 1964 - that record stood for some time. (The finale of M*A*S*H beat it with a 60 share but that episode was not a half hour.)

With an almost 43 share this episode ranks as the 44th highest rated broadcast ever. 'The Giant Jackrabbit' will forever on television be the highest rated 30 minute sitcom of all time - due to the fact that folks only had three choices back in the day, the audience is too dispersed across the dial today.



No, it's not your imagination, the theme song is not the original. That's Sharon Tate you'll see as the pretty girl from Beverly Caterers. A very funny episode. What I liked about the first 3 seasons - it was the residents of Beverly Hills that bore the brunt of the satire. When the focus shifted to making fun of the hillbillies the show got too silly.

1986 Saturday Morning Shows

Networks were programming for a younger audience than a decade before; as a result, the Saturday shows were getting annoyingly cute by the mid-eighties.

Saturday mornings were in turmoil in 1986, ratings were falling. This was the first Saturday morning lineup in over fifteen years without Scooby Doo. Scooby, Bugs and the SuperFriends ate up 2 1/2 hours on ABC in 1985, but by the fall of 1986 all but Bugs were gone and he was busted to a half-hour.

While NBC took the road of least resistance (lots reruns of established shows), CBS and ABC took big gambles in 1986 in an attempt to lure a new audience. It wasn't long before Scooby and the DC heroes returned. In terms of ratings, CBS won the year handily thanks to Pee Wee Herman - but the real hit cartoons were playing on weekdays after school - Jem, Transformers, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony among many others.



Here are some highlights - go here for the complete Saturday 1986 schedule for all 3 networks.


Teen Wolf - Based on the hit movie starring Michael J. Fox, first of three years on Saturday mornings.




Galaxy High - Outer space style fun revolving around two exchange students from Earth who attend a high school on the asteroid Flutor made up of kids from every planet. I swear I don't make this stuff up; it ran for two years.




The Real Ghostbusters - Based on the hit movie. Four guys search for ghosts with Slimer, their pet glob of green goo. Just as in the cartoon version of Teen Wolf, no attempt was made to have the animated characters look like their big screen counterparts. This show was so popular it began running on weekday afternoons




Lazer Tag Academy - A time traveling teen girl from 3010 lands in the present to stop the villain Draxon Drear from changing history. She teamed with her ancestors, Tom, Nicky, and Beth who are uniquely able to use Lazer Tag guns to travel through time and manipulate objects. There were 13 episodes filmed by Ruby Spears Animation.




Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling! - Last year of two, reruns from the previous year. No, the Hulkster didn't take the time to voice his animated clone, it was Brad Garrett who did the honors. The other famous WWF wrestlers featured in this series were also voiced by others - including The Iron Sheik, Andre the Giant and Rowdy Roddy Piper. 




It's Punky Brewster - Punky was prime time kiddie fodder that translated well into cartoon format. Year two of four. Soleil Moon-Frye provided the voice of Punky; in fact, all of the original cast was on hand, as well as the obligatory added animal cohort with magical powers - in this case a gopher-like thing named Glomer.


The complete Saturday 1986 schedule for all 3 networks.

How I Saved Jesus

There are countless stories of wayward souls saved by Jesus Christ. But did I ever tell you the story of how I returned the favor?

Well, actually it was cinematographer Phillip Dann that rescued this magnificent depiction of one of the Stations of the Cross. There were originally 13 of these detailed diorama sculptures, beautifully but dramatically depicting the suffering of Christ.

It's made of painted plaster sculpted against a solid wood backing, it must weigh 60 pounds. If I were to guess I would say this would date back to the 1930s.

Sadly, only three of the Stations survived. It seems an old church by the coast was modernizing and renovating they felt the dioramas were too old fashioned - so they just chucked them into a construction dumpster where they were decimated, reduced to rubble. Can you imagine?!? Phillip pulled the three less severely damaged sculptures out of their ignominious resting place and they were used briefly in the film I performed in in 2011, Lake of Fire.


(Here's a scene from that movie.)

It was the last day of filming and I was asked if I could take one of the sculptures home since they had no place to live. Of course I said no. I mean, this thing is huge and would tend to dominate a room. This will twist your room's Fung shui into total turmoil!

But after a moment of reflection I realized I couldn't let something so unique and symbolic end up on Storage Wars. Or worse, in some Frat House turned into a beer bong.

Fortunately I found a nice spot on my Time Tunnel hallway and there it sits.





I figure my ticket to Heaven is hardly guaranteed so I need to hedge my bets any way I can. Although it might not help if the big guy is looking down when I adorn the statue with a more modern touch, an anarchy metal pin.

Praise Him 'till they raise Him! Hallelujah!

The Unknown Comic's Autobiography

'Journey Through the Unknown' is the new autobiography of Murray Langston, long time TV second banana who hit superstar status in the mid-1970s with his alter ego, The Unknown Comic. In this fast paced breezy read, Langston regales the reader with tales about the top stars of the last fifty years, it's fascinating.

In the 1970s Murray Langston (along with his oft-times partners Ted Zeigler, Peter Cullen, and Freeman King) was ubiquitous on my favorite TV shows, those produced by Allan Blye, Chris Bearde and Bob Einstein starting with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1971. That series in particular, along with The Gong Show a few years later, solidified my love for this oddball comic.

As a supporting player for Sonny & Cher he was ringside for the circus surrounding the couple of the decade who made more tabloid headlines than they did money. If you've waited for an insider on the show to share his experiences here it is. Murray Langston creates an image of Cher that's both sympathetic and cold hearted bitch. Sonny Bono comes across a great deal less sympathetic.

(Not the best clip to showcase his talents but Murray Langston can be seen in the yellow hat and scarf.)



You have to recognize the genius that was The Unknown Comic, pure bullshittery but everyone was in on the joke so it worked brilliantly. Murray Langston is an honest-to-God showbiz legend that found a way to use the fuel from the daytime ratings brushfire that was The Gong Show to catapult himself into the 1970s zeitgeist, becoming an icon of the polyester decade. 'The Wizard of Whoopie' had a best-selling poster like Farrah Fawcett. He headlined Vegas.



'Journey Through the Unknown' never gets bogged down in the author's ego, a common trap for celeb books; Langston is willing to lay bare his life warts and all. My only regret concerning this massive 450+ page book filled with photos and stories about hundreds of stars like Jerry Lewis, Steve Martin, Karen Black, Ruth Buzzi, Ted Knight, Bobby Vinton, Goldie Hawn, and Lucie Arnaz... I just wish there were more. It's an exuberant life well lived and a story well told, highly recommended.

ORDER HERE FROM AMAZON!

The Lucy Desi 1959 Christmas Day Special

One of the last television shows Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz did together was a Christmas special that has never been re-broadcast. That's a real shame, it was a star-studded spectacular that any Lucy fan would find appealing.


On Christmas Day, 1959, The Desilu Playhouse (1958-1960) presented a special Holiday broadcast starring the whole I Love Lucy gang, in addition to the Desilu Players and numerous stars of other popular Desilu productions like George Murphy, Spring Byington, Lassie, Danny Thomas, Hugh O'Brien and Ann Sothern. Even Hollywood hag Hedda Hopper made an appearance!

The wrap-around plot had Hollywood gossip queen Hedda Hopper interviewing Lucy and Desi about the Desilu Players and the show they recently staged. This led to flashbacks of Lucy (who was directing the stage show) creating chaos backstage between the musical numbers.

This Desilu Christmas special was produced and (essentially) directed by Lucille Ball herself. This is the only Desilu production I can think of that features the I Love Lucy cast members playing "themselves."

The juxtaposition of the 'real' Lucy with the Lucy character is slightly confusing and, though Vivian Vance is referred to as "Vivian" here, her personality is basically Ethel's with more attitude.

If you ever get the opportunity to watch this hour-long special, look for the scene where William Frawley (as himself?) tries to pick up one of the young girls in the show. How's this for a come-on: "Miss Lovell, do you feel about older men the way I feel about younger women?"

This is the next to last appearance of the four I Love Lucy cast members together, Lucy and Desi filed for divorce just a few months after this special was filmed. The couple only appeared together in one more Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Show; they never again performed together.

The Desilu Players was a pet project of Lucille Ball's, who hand-picked each of the versatile performers as her protégés - they were appearing in a stage revue that she produced in LA around the time of this broadcast. The musical comedy numbers from that show ended up in the Christmas special's final edit.

One of those musical numbers ('I'm Only Happy When I'm Singin' the Blues') featured some wild art direction and garnered excellent revues for the sterling performances by Carole Cook and Dick Kallman as singing/dancing coffeehouse beatniks.




Carole Cook was a life-long friend of Lucy's; a Broadway star she appeared several times on The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. Dick Kallman starred in the fondly remembered TV series Hank in 1965. He also embarked on a promising Broadway career before being tragically murdered in his New York apartment in 1980.

Also in the Desilu Playhouse cast: Majel Barrett (Nurse Chappell on Star Trek another Desilu show) and Robert Osborne (the Classic Movie Channel host and erstwhile writer for the Hollywood Reporter)

More Netflix Suggestions

Always looking for something to watch on DVD or Netflix streaming? Here are some suggestions, many you prolly already know.

SERIES:
American Horror Story - Season One
House of Cards - Brilliant and pleasant to watch.
Damages - Best TV drama ever? Gets my vote.
Dallas - The original series is a hoot start with Season 2.
Fawlty Towers - Funniest comedy ever? Yep.
The Tudors / Leverage (First 3 seasons) / Rescue Me / The Riches / Justified / The Job

MOVIES:

End of Watch - Fast!
Girl 27 - Hushed up studio rape cases in 1940s Hollywood, heartbreaking!
Hatfields & McCoys - Nicely done drama!
Loose Change 9/11 - Boy were we fooled!
Zeitgeist the Movie - Along the same lines as above.
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Best John Wayne movie? There are many I like better but this one's solid. Other great John Wayne films: The Searchers (Martin Scorcese watches this every year, it's near perfect), Hondo, Stagecoach, and on the lighter side War Wagon, Sons of Katie Elder, El Dorado.
Seal Team Six - Great action pic with strong script.
Rampart - Gritty cop movie.
The Final Countdown - Love this 80s time travel film.
Slap Shot - 1970s classic on ice.
Breakdown - Car breaks down, wife goes missing. Chilling.

You're Gonna Miss Me / Carol Channing Larger than Life / Bad Day at Black Rock / The Guy That Was in That thing / The Apostle /