Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 39

September 9, 2024: Back on the Crime Binge!

Although I haven’t updated my Crime Binge selections of late, my marathon continue apace (over 400 shows in now!).  Instead of posting everything I’m watching, the rare hit and mostly misses, I’ve decided to wait and drop recommendations for some recent favorites.

So, if you get a chance, check out…

Slovo patsana. Krov na asfalte/ Boy’s World: Blood on the Asphalt (2023 – ) 1 season / Russia

The late 1980s. While parents fight for survival in a changing world, children fight for the territory. Two 14-year-old boys, Andrey and Marat, are seeking protection and support amid violence and poverty – and find it on the streets.

This one was bleak but so damn compelling.  Probably one of my Top 25 favorite crime shows and certainly one of the best shows I’ve watched this year.

Yakhanyeongung/Weak Hero Class 1 (2022 – ) 1 season / South Korea

Yeon Shi-eun is a model student, who ranks at the top at his school. Physically, he appears like a weak boy, but, by using his smarts, tools, and psychology, he fights against violence that takes place inside and outside of his school.

Speaking of Best of 2024, this one ranks right up there as well.  Wonderful character work and a gut punch of an ending.

Profugos/Fugitives (2011 – 2013 ) 3 seasons / Chile

Four men become fugitives after a failed drug deal, running from north to the south of Chile.

All of the twists, turns, and unexpected shifting dynamics you’d expect from a great crime show.

¿Quién lo Mató?/Who Killed Him? (2024) 1 season / Mexico

Recounts the events surrounding the murder of television host Paco Stanley, telling the story before and after one of the most media events of the late 90s.

I’m not usually a fan of the “ripped from the headlines” school of storytelling, but this series was absolutely riveting.

Sathu/The Believers (2024 – ) Season 1 / Thailand

Three young and ambitious entrepreneurs must find a way to repay a mountain of debt from their failed startup, when they stumble upon an unthinkable “business” opportunity exploiting people’s beliefs in religion for money.

This one goes places you’d never expect.  Very compelling.

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September 8, 2024: Sharky Sunday!

Crunchy ASMR!

Sharky’s massage instructions…

Letting us know how much he loves it…

Out and About with Sharky: T&T Supermarket First Attempt!

Out and About with Sharky: T&T Supermarket Second Attempt!

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September 7, 2024: Our Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 17-20!

Season 3, Episode 17, “One More Pallbearer”

This episode was first broadcast January 12, 1962.

In the original draft, Radin accuses Colonel Hawthorne of ordering him to lead a suicidal mission because he didn’t want Radin to marry his daughter.

Also in the original draft, Radin accuses Mrs. Langsford of targeting him in school after romantically pursuing his father only to have him choose his mother over her. Furthermore, Radin reveals that the classmate he attempted to frame was actually the school bully.

Finally, the original draft had a somewhat different ending. Radin pulls out a gun and shoots all three dead before heading up to the surface and suffering his hallucination.

The original setting for this episode was the basement “of a fashionable brownstone on the east side of New York”.

The episode interiors were shot at MGM’s Stage 10 while the New York exterior was shot on Lot 2. The post-apocalyptic world was shot at Stage 27 which served as Munchkin Land in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Actor Joseph Wiseman, who played, Paul Radin, was born in my home town of Montreal. He was the first to play a James Bond villain as Dr. No (1962).

Trevor Bardette, who played Colonel Hawthorne, was born Terva Bardette but changed his name for the big screen. He published a short story titled “The Phantom Photoplay”, in the August 1927 issue of Weird Tales magazine and ended up making a list of the publication’s female writers. Bardette built a career playing villains, mostly in Westerns and serials. Between 1938 and 1940, he appeared in 33 films.

The episode offers an intriguing premise but, once the stage is set, the proceedings give way to an overly talky story that concludes in rather unimpressive fashion. I’m reminded of season 1’s “A World of Difference” that, although it didn’t make my Top 10, I thought still did a much better job of delivering the same twist in more provocative and ambiguous fashion.

Season 3, Episode 18, “Dead Man’s Shoes”

This episode was first broadcast January 19, 1962.

Although based on an original idea by Charles Beaumont, Ocee Ritch wrote the teleplay

Originally, this episode was titled “Venus in the Garage”, then “Down to Earth”, and then “The Reluctant Genius” before becoming “Dead Man’s Shoes”.

In the original story, the enchanted item was actually a cowboy hat. In retrospect, “Dead Man’s Cowboy Hat” probably wouldn’t have worked as a title.

The episode was remade as Dead Woman’s Shoes/Wong’s Lost and Found Emporium (1985) and Dead Man’s Eyes (2002). This makes it the only episode to have appeared in all three Twilight Zone incarnations.

Actor Warren Stevens, who played Nate Bledsoe, appeared as Lt. William Storm in 26 episodes of Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers (1956) and as Elliot Carson on Return to Peyton Place (1972) for 422 episodes. Reflecting back on this episode, Stevens was refreshingly candid: “Pittman said “Listen, I don’t know how you should play this. You’re on your own!” So that was it, I was on my own! I played a bum who put on the shoes of a dead gangster and then became the gangaster. I think it should be a joint effort, with suggestions from both parties kind of melding into something that comes out right. So I never forgot Pittman saying to me “I do’t know what to tell ya!”.”

On Rod Serling: “I met Rod Serling – not on that show, but I met him before. He smoked far too much, but otherwse he was a very personable guy.”

Richard Devon, who played Dagget, had a recurring role in Space Patrol (1950) up until he got into a contract dispute and his character ended up in permanent suspended animation.

Actress Joan Marshall, who played Wilma, played Sailor Duval in Bold Venture (1959). She auditioned for the part of Lily Munster (then Phoebe Munster) on The Munsters (1964), but the producers felt she was too much like Morticia Addams from the Addams Family (1964). Her ex-husband, Hal Ashby, used the personal details of her life for the movie Shampoo (1975), much to her displeasure.

Ben Wright, who played Chips, also appeared in season 1’s “Judgment Night” and was most recently seen playing the doctor in “Deaths-Head Revisited”.

Florence Marly, who played Dagget’s girlfriend, was a Czech beauty whose film career was cut short when she was blacklisted after being branded a communist. As it turned out, she had been confused with Russian club singer Anna Marly but by the time this was discovered, it was too late, forcing her to pivot to televison.

Honestly, not a bad episode although I did find Nate’s treatment of Wilma a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. I did appreciate the shift in performance between the anxious homeless man and confident gangster. I was expecting to dislike this episode but, in the end, the most egregious story element for me was that annoyingly erudite drifter. Overall, not a Top 10 finisher but entertaining nevertheless.

Season 3, Episode 19, “The Hunt”

This episode first aired January 26, 1962.

The Simpson’s cabin is the same one The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) lived in before striking it rich.

The writer of this episode, Earl Hammer Jr., would go on to create The Waltons (1972). The banter between the old married couple would form the template for the similar repartee between Grandpa and Grandma Walton. Hammer considered this episode his favorite of the eight(!) Twilight Zone episodes he scripted.

On his inspiration for this episode, Earl Hammer Jr. revealed: “I grew up during the depression. My family was what you considered backwoods folk of Virginia. My father would go hunting for pheasant and quail, and he had a hunting dog he loved. One night the dog ran away and my father spent all night searching for him. It was part of the family, you know, so when he found the dog the next morning, the animal was dead and my father grieved.”

Alas, this episode was not universally loved. The studio received a letter from an incensed Minister who wrote: “Old man was not a member of the church. Insofar as the story went, the idea presented was that as long as a man leads a good moral life, goes coon hunting with his favorite hound, and does what he can to preserve his dog’s life when the need arises, he is assured of the Promised Land. This is completely erroneous! Mighty I sugest you read Luke 18:18-24. This is a parable taught by Jesus concerning a man who kept all the commanderments. I fully realize that youir program was purely fictional, but still that does not change the damage that was done. Thousands of ministers stand Sunday after Sunday condeming exactly what the program last night condoned!” Two which Serling responded: “It was Earl Hammer Jr’s feeling and mine that good work, honesty, and a moral life are not the essence in considering the whole man – his destiny and his after-life.”

Arthur Hunnicutt, who played Hyder Simpson, was a longtime character actor and supporting player who earned a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his work in Howard Hawks’ The Big Sky (1952).

Jeanette Nolan, who played Rachel Simpson, appeared on more than 300 t.v. shows over the course of her career. She makes another appearance in season 4’s “Jess-Belle” and would guest twice on Serling’s Night Gallery (1970).

To be honest, I found it all unbearably hokey until the no-dogs-allowed-in-heaven element at which point it continued to be hokey, but in an acceptable way for this dog-lover. It aint gonna be making my Top 10, but the last five minutes redeemed it enough for me to consider it “not terrible”.

Season 3, Episode 20, “Showdown with Rance McGrew”

This episode first aired February 2, 1962.

In the scene in which Rance McGrew is having the showdown with Jesse James, we glimpse a funeral parlor with signage that indicates the funeral director is C. Nyby. Coincidentally, this episode was directed by Christian Nyby.

This episode was apparently (subconsciously) inspired by an idea pitched to Serling by writer Federic Louis Fox, a story about a long dead outlaw who rises from the grave to exact revenge on the actor portraying him onscreen. Days before this episode went to camera, Fox received the following letter from Serling: “A few days after its completion, a little persistent gnawing bug-crawled into my consciousness, and I finally remembered someone telling me a story at a Strike Meeting last Spring. I don’t know if it was your story that pushed this one out of me, or the germ of it made its writing possible, but I do know that in some fifteen years of writing I have never, knowingly, copped someone else’s material. I’ve asked Buck Houghton, our producer, to contact Jay Richards to arange a price for your outline, and a credit of some sort which will satisfy you.” Fox would later submit a second story idea to the show that would become “Hocus Pocus and Frisby”.

Episode director Christian Nyby started out as a film editor, earning an Oscar for his work on Howard Hawks’ Red River (1948). He eventually took the directing reins for his first feature, The Thing from Another World (1951), that, rumor had it, was actually directed by the film’s producer Howard Hawks given it contained many of his tell-tale directorial flourishes.

Actor Robert Cornthwaite, who played the director in this episode, relates the following story about Nyby: “Chris Nyby, who was directing, casually mentioned that it would be perrectly normal for me, playing the director, to put a hand on the shoulder of the extra girl who played the script clerk when I went over to check a line of dialouge. After three years in Hollywood, I still didn’t get his drift. “Perfectly normal, sure,” I thought, “But why make such a point of it?”. And then I learned that wnenever a principal in a scene makes physical contact with an extra in a shot, that extra gets extra. Chris, who is one of the really nice guys in the business, was ensuring this extra girl an adjustment on her daily paycheck.” This episode would mark a reunion for the two who had previously worked together on The Thing from Another World (which, in case you didn’t know, was the original version of The Thing).

Larry Blyden, who played Rance McGrew, previously appeared as Rocky Valentine in season 1’s “It’s a Nice Place to Visit”. As much as I found his performance borderline annoying in that episode, I really thought he did a terrific job in this one.

Arch Johnson, who played Jesse James, enjoyed a career on stage and screen, but his first love was the theatre.

This was the most surprising episode of The Twilight Zone to date. After reading the synopsis yesterday and seeing the relatively low imdb score, I was expecting to hate it. But I did not. In fact, I really, really liked this episode. I keep saying I’m not a fan of the TZ comedies but I though this one was really well done. The industry in-jokes were plentiful and spot-on and Rance’s character reminded me of David DeLuise’s portrayal of Colonel Danning in “Wormhole X-Treme” with a touch of actor Louis Ferreira’s off-camera antics. I actually laughed out loud several times and was left pleasantly surprised by this one. And, yes, it will be making my season 3 Top 10.

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September 6, 2024: Pick Your Poison!

Rank ’em!

#4: Cream Soda!  This one reminds me of our family visits to my grandmother’s house.  Whenever we went, we had a choice of two beverages: cream soda or gingerale.  Not sure why I leaned towards cream soda because, in retrospect, it’s one of the least remarkable of sweeted sodas.  I guess the name itself carried a lot of weight back in the day.  I had the misfortune of being served a lukewarm glass one time and that pretty much solidified its place int he lower tankings.

#3: This is tough, but I guess I’d go with Fresca.  Growing up, it was one of those drinks that had an adult aura about it – bittersweet and an acquired taste, much like how I imagined the flavor of alcohol.  I ended up liking it over time but, a few years ago, I sampled some and found it suprisingly sweet and lacking in that underlying bitterness I used to remember as a kid.  Has the recipe changed or was it my childish palate?

#2: Grape Soda.  Loved this one growing up and, to be honest, wouldn’t turn down a glass as an adult.  Our fridge was always well stocked with the Crush compendium as my aged grandmother who moved to Canada had immediately acquired a taste for Orange Crush and The Donny & Marie Show soon after her arrival from Italy.  Feel the (slight carbonated) burn!

#1: Spruce Beer.  Most non-Canadians probably haven’t heard of this beverage but it pretty much tastes like liquid pine in a bottle.  Sweet liquid pine mind you.  This soda was an outlier, not often available, so I would gravitate to its unique flavor, exclusivity, and the fact that many of my friends hated the stuff.

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September 5, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 13-16!

Season 3, Episode 13, “Once Upon a Time”

This episode was first broadcast December 15, 1961.

The 1890’s street scenes were shot on MGM’s “Western Street”, last glimpsed in “A Stop at Willoughby”.

In the original script, the 1890’s scenes had dialogue and were shot like the contemporary scenes. After watching the first cut, however, it was decided to give those early scenes a silent film feel by removing the sound and dialogue, introducing music and card inserts, and losing the occasional frame in editing.

In the script’s first draft, Rollo and Mulligan spend much of the 1962 scenes running around a food market in search of a replacement t.v. tube. The sequence was dropped in favor of the much less dynamic repair shop scenes.

Richard Matheson apparently wrote this script especially for Keaton who he knew through mutual friends.

According to series producer Buck Houghton, Buster Keaton was “absolutely wonderful” to work with and helped refine many of the episode’s sight gags.

The old-fashioned clothes wringer Keaton uses to dry his pants in this episode was the same type of wringer that caught his finger when he was three-years-old, necessitating the amputation below the first knuckle.

In the episode’s final shot, the camera pans up towards the stars – and catches the top of the set.

This episode was directed by Norman Z. McLeod who was once one of Paramount’s top directors. His early films included The Marx Brothers’ Monkey Business (1931) and Horse Feathers (1932) as well as films starring W.C. Fields, Danny Kaye, Red Skelton, and Bob Hope. He was in semi-retirement when he was offered the opportunity to direct this episode. It would be his final gig.

Actor Buster Keaton, who played Woodrow Mulligan, got his start in a travelling vaudeville act with his parents, an act that often involved him being flung around the stage. Born Joseph Frank, he was nicknamed Buster by Harry Houdini who witnessed him fall down a flight of stairs at the age of three (apparently a bad year for him).

At the age of 21, he met comedian Fatty Arbuckle who helped kickstart his career, co-starring with him in some shorts before moving on to features and leaving his studio to Keaton. Keaton took advantage to produce his own films. When Arbuckle’s career took a downturn as a result of a scandal, Keaton stuck by his friend, offering him work after the rest of Hollywood turned their backs on him.

At the height of his popularity, Keaton was making two movies a year. Eventually, Keaton landed with MGM and that proved to be, in his own words, “the worst professional mistake” he had ever made. Reluctantly ceding creative control to a bunch of executives (who always know better) his career promptly tanked. He was fired by MGM, became an alcoholic, divorced, and lost it all. He remarried and eventually made a quiet comeback, but he never attained the lofty heights he’d achieved early in his career. A life-long smoker, he was apparently diagnosed with lung cancer after inquiring about a months-long cough but the doctors, fearing he wouldn’t be able to handle the truth, simply didn’t tell him. So Keaton, assuming he was simply fighting off a bad case of bronchitis, remained active, unaware of his terminal diagnosis. He died in his sleep after playing cards with his wife one night.

Stannley Adams, who played Rollo, was an actor and screenwriter known for his portrayals of millionaire Rusty Trawler in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Cyrano Jones on Star Trek (1966), and a sentient space carrot named Tybo on Lost in Space (1965). He took his own life after battling depression following a back injury that effectively ended his career.

Jesse White, who played the owner of the Fix-It Shop, is best known for his portrayal of the long-suffering Maytag repairman, a role he played from 1968 to 1989.

This is another one of those episodes that I love conceptually but feel it ultimately doesn’t come together. You all know how I feel about the “funny” episodes. Add the slapstick hijinks and it all just feels kind of embarrassing, probably even for the early 60’s. There were a few physical bits that I thought worked (ie Mulligan hiding behind the heavy-set Rollo) and I enjoyed the performances (I thought Adams was especially great), but this one just failed to impress in the end.

Season 3, Episode 14, “Five Characters in Search of an Exit”

This episode was first broadcast December 22, 1961.

This episode was based on a 4 page story pitch submitted to the production by Marvin Petal. He actually wrote an accompanying script but was informed that they were only buying the idea and Rod Serling would be writing the script. According to Petal: “I was paid only $250 and no residuals. As many times as that episode has been rerun on television, I regret not getting any residuals.”

The original title of the story was “The Depository” but it was changed because, apparently, the production felt it sounded too much like “suppository”.

Also, according to Petal: “The vertical climb was a challenge for them, but I suggested they build half of the huge container and make it horizontal and that is how they shot it. I wasn’t on the set when they filmed it, but they took my suggestion and went with it.”

The outdoor set for the final scene is the same spot on MGMs Brownstone Street where Dick York lands a coin on its side in “A Penny for Your Thoughts”.

This episode is said to be a partial inspiration for the movie Cube (1997).

Producer Buck Houghton’s daughter, Mona, appears at the end of this episode as the little girl.

Director Lamont Johnson, who directed “Five Characters in Search of an Exit”, would years later be enlisted by JJ Abrams to direct an episode of Felicity (1998), “Help for the Lovelorn”, that drew direct inspiration from this episode.

Actress Susan Harrison, who played The Ballerina, was the mother of Darva Conger, the contestant who “won” Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire (2000), married the schlub, and then found it strange when this relative stranger started making the moves on their wedding night.

William Windom, who played The Major, made his mark on stage and television, doing over a hundred guest spots on various shows. He co-starred alongside Inger Stevens (“The Hitch-Hiker”) in The Farmer’s Daughter (1963) and then starred in his own series, My World and Welcome to It (1969), in which he played a cartoonist with a vivid imagination. He was a series regular on Murder She Wrote (1984), playing the part of Dr. Seth Hazlitt for many years. He was also Commodore Decker on the Star Trek franchise and the voice of Uncle Chuck on Sonic the Hedgehog (1993).

Murray Matheson, who played The Clown, had his early stage work interrupted by WWII. After serving, he moved to Canada where he built a solid television career. Some of his more notable roles included KAOS mastermind Cedric Devonshire on Get Smart (1965), the alien Dr. Reynard on The Invaders (1967), and Felix Mulholland, the owner of Mulholland’s Rare Books & Prints, on Banacek (1972). His final role was in Twilight Zone: The Movie’s “Kick the Can” segment.

Clark Allen, who played The Bagpiper, co-owned the El Cid flamenco club in Los Angeles for almost twenty years with his wife. In 1972, he was shot there during an armed robbery but managed to make a miraculous recovery.

Kelton Garwood, who played The Tramp, found the onscreen opportunities so few and far between that, while doing a 12 episode run on Gunsmoke (1961), he also ended up taking a job at the Van Nuys Post Office.

Harrison (The Ballerina) and Windom, (The Major) battled it out for top billing in this episode but, if you ask me, their comparatively bland performances didn’t hold a candle to Murray Matheson as The Clown. Matheson delivers what is one of my favorite all-time guest spots on this show. And, as I was watching his animated delivery, I couldn’t help but be reminded of someone. I couldn’t think who until halfway through the episode when I realized…The Joker frrom the 1966 Batman series. I have no doubt that Caeser Romero based his performance, at least in part, on Matheson’s Clown.

This is one episode I did remember watching, mainly because as a kid, I absolutely loved the idea of this scenario playing out amongst my Planet of the Apes and superhero action figures. And yet, despite the passage of time, I still love “Five Characters in Search of an Exit” as much as I did when I first watched it at age 13. Definitely Top 10 material.

Season 3, Episode 15, “A Quality of Mercy”

This episode was first broadcast December 29, 1961.

This epiosde was based on a story idea by Sam Rolfe, co-creator of Have Gun Will Travel and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He had wanted to write the script but was unable to do so, presumably due to time constraints. He later wrote a first draft of a script called “The Calculator” for The Twilight Zone, but it was never produced.

The jungle set was shot on the old Hal Roach Studios.

This was one of four episodes remade for Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).

Actor Dean Stockwell, who played Lt. Katell, was the son of Broadway performers and an accomplished singer. He got his start in show business as a child actor, winning a Golden Globe in the category of Best Juvenile Performer. He dropped out of the business in the 60’s to join the Hippie scene, then returned in the 70’s. Times were lean and , in the 80’s, he had to work as a real estate broker to make ends meet. But he soon found success in moves like Paris, Texas (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), and Married to the Mob (1988) for which he received an Oscar nomination. In 1989, he landed the part of Al Calavicci on Quantum Leap, a role which earned him a Golden Globe.

Stockwell, apparently, auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972), ultimatley losing out to Al Pacino.

He was originally cast to star in season 1’s “The Purple Testament” but had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. Two years later, he landed a role in this episode, playing yet another hallucinating American soldier serving in the Pacific during WWII..

Albert Salmi, who played Sgt. Causarano, was last seen as Joe Caswell in season 1’s “Execution”.

Leonard Nimoy, who played Hansen, is best known as Mr. Spock from Star Trek, a role that earned him three Emmy nominations.

He came up with the idea for the Vulcan nerve pinch when the show’s writers were trying to think of a way for his character to overcome an adversary through non-violent means. Both he and William Shatner suffered from tinnitus, the result of a special effects explosion that went off too close to them during the filming of the episode “Arena”.

Nimoy’s final tweet, posted four days before his death, was “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP” (Live Long and Prosper).

It’s clear that Serling, who also served in the Pacific during WWII, had staunch anti-war views and, every so often, they would come through in his writing. Unfortunately, they often did so in the form of clunky, heavy-handed messaging. As is the case in this episode. The “Japanese” make-up was silly enough, but requiring Stockwell to adopt a Japanese accent made it all even more painful to watch, especially considering the Japanese characters were already speaking English (!). I have no idea how the 1988 Twilight Zone movie reimainged this episode, but I hope it was with a little more subtlety in its execution.

In the end, one of the weaker episodes of this third season.

Season 3, Episode 16, “Nothing in the Dark”

This episode was first broadcast January 5, 1962.

This episode was originally intended to be the season 2 finale, but that honor ended up going to “The Obsolete Man” and “Nothing in the Dark” was moved into season 3 to give the production a strong head start on the season.

Director Lamont Johnson reflected back on Robert Redford’s audition with Gladys Cooper : “He [Redford] said he really wanted to meet her, so he came back and they read together, and I could see the lovely light of lechery in her eyes as she looked at him, because he was a very attractive young man. And he was delightful in it…so a nice chemistry developed in the reading. So I said “Thank you, Mr. Redford, we’ll let you know.” And he walked out the door, and the minute the door was closed, she reached over and said “Dahling, get him for me.” Like a tigress about to pounce.”

Actress Gladys Cooper, who played Wanda Dunn in this episode, started off as a child model before making her debut on the London stage in 1906. She was a star of silent film as well as a popular pin-up girl during WWI. In 1917, she started co-managing The Playhouse Theatre, something unheard of for a woman at the time. Then, in 1927, she took over full control and managed it herself for the next six years. She made numerous guest appearances on television and enjoyed a 30 year film career. In 1967, she was honored as a Dame Commander of the Order of British Empire (DBE) for her great accomplishments in furthering acting.

Robert Redford, who played handsome Mr. Death, was a bit of a rascal growing up, stealing hubcaps in high school and losing a college baseball scholarship because due to drunkeness. He decided to study art after high school and took a trip through Europe that convinced him he wasn’t particularly talented and should consider an alternate career path. He chose acting.

At the age of 33, he landed his breakthrough role as Sundance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), following that up with The Way We Were (1973) and The Sting (1973), which made him No. 1 at the box office for the next three years. His directorial debut, Ordinary People (1980), won him the Academy Award for Best Director in 1981.

Redford had this to say about his Twilight Zone experience: “I recall how everyone from the director to the actors to the designers had everything ready frrom the moment we began filming. It was so laid out that by the time we finished the last scene, it felt like a few hours passed by. Gladys Coper was a wonderful woman to work with, and a pro all the way. That was a good script too. Of course, no one ever thought then that (the episode) would become a classic and shown around the world like it is today. I don’t prefer to look back at my earliest efforts but I have to admit, to this day, I am proud of that one.”

R.G. Armstrong, who played the contractor, would appear in over 80 films and guest on 90 t.v. shows over the course of his long career. He died 24 days after the death of his best friend, Andy Griffith.

Gladys Cooper delivers a wonderfully poignant performance in this episode while Redford does a fine job of looking very handsome. “Nothing in the Dark” is regarded highly by many Twilight Zone aficionados but I found this another case of “great idea, lacklustre execution”. I did really like how our faux cop bounced back from being shot after a nice cup of tea though!

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September 4, 2024: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Exceptional X-Men #1 – cover art by Joelle Jones

Spider-Boy #11 – cover art by Paco Medina

The Immortal Thor #15 – cover art by Ryan Meinerding

Absolute Power #3 – cover art by Carla Cohen

Absolute Power #3 – cover art by Marc Aspinall

Batman #152 – cover art by Guillem March

Birds of Prey #13 – cover art by Nicola Scott

Poison Ivy #25 – cover art by Marcio Takara

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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September 3, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – best and worst!

Creme Brulee Spam Sandwich?

BEST: Homemade horchata ice cream

WORST:  Udon pizza

 

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September 2, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season episodes 9-12!

Season 3, Episode 9, “Deaths-Head Revisited”

This episode first aired November 10, 1961.

Rod Serling was inspired to write this episode by the trial of nazi Adolf Eichmann.

The episode title is a play on Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead Revisited.

The exteriors were shot on MGM’s Lot 3, the set that was once a Western fort.

After the episode aired, one viewer wrote in to accuse Serling of “having a preoccupation with nazism”, something he vehemtly denied.

Actor Joseph Schildkraut, who played Alfred Becker, had been promised the lead role in “The Obsolete Man” only to have the part go to Burgess Meredith. Here, Serling made good on his word to cast Schildkraut by giving him a role in this episode.

Schildkraut was an Austrian-born matinee idol of the silent films who eventually graduated to Broadway and playing onscreen villains. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Life of Emile Zola (1937) but was told he was not going to win so he didn’t bother attending. He was in bed when he received a frenzied call informing him that he was actually going to win so he rushed to the event just in time for Frank Capra to present him with the award. Unfortunately, his career declined after he signed with low budget RKO Pictures.

Schildkraut suffered a fatal heart attack in 1964 after a song-and-dance rehearsal for the musical comedy “Cafe Crown”.

Oscar Beregi Jr., who played Gunter Lutze, was a good friend of Schildkraut and, like him, built a career playing accented villains. He previously appeared in “The Rip Van Winkle Caper”.

Karen Verne, who played the Inkeeper, appeared in mostly B movies. After marrying actor Peter Lorre, she put her career on hold – and spent five years in a miserable marriage that saw her make several suicide attempts. The two eventually divorced and Verne tried to resume her career but, by that point, the opporitunities had passed her by. She passed away at the age of all-too-young-age of 49, officially of a fatal heart attack although there were rumors she took her own life.

Ben Wright, who played the Doctor, was a master of dialects who kicked off his career on radio, being the last person to portray Sherlock Holmes during America’s golden age of radio. His final role was the voice of Grimsby in The Little Mermaid (1989).

Well, if there’s one thing Serling could never be accused of it was being too subtle. While somewhat overtly clunky, this is still a solid, well- directed episode buoyed by strong performances. But, in the end, not a Top 10 candidate for my season 3 list.

Season 3, Episode 10, “The Midnight Sun”

This episode first aired November 17, 1961.

This episode was shot in a mere three days.

A scene that ended up on the cutting room floor involved a repairman fixing Mrs. Bronson’s refrigerator and demanding payment in cash. When the cash-strapped Mrs. Bronson offers up her wedding ring instead, the repairman agrees to accept payment on credit.

Another scene that ended up cut involved a police officer coming by to warn the women that the police force was being disbanded and to exercise caution. He gives them a gun and informs them it was going to keep getting hotter “until it’s too hot to stand”. Then, throwing a meaningful look to the gun, advises: “Then use your judgment, ladies.” Actor John McLiam, who played the cop, also appeared as a detective in the episode “Uncle Simon”, but his scene in that episode also ended up on the cutting room floor.

To pull off the scene where the paintings melt, wax was used instead of paint and a heater was placed behind the canvas.

Actress Lois Nettleton, who played Norma, was a Miss America finalist who started her career on Broadway. She was married for seven years to Jean Shepherd, the host of a radio show she called into, becoming a frequent guest caller before tying the knot with him. They divorced after seven years of marriage.

Nettleton was nominated for an Emmy Award six times, winning twice, and received a Tony nomination in 1976.

Reflecting back on her TZ experience, she said: “I came out from New York for The Twilight Zone and loved every minute of it. The lamps that created the heat on the set helped create the illusion. That’s all it was, an illuision. The heat in the studio wasn’t enough. Someone was spraying water on our faces between shots. Anton Leader, the director, made all of us feel comfortable on the set. He was the kind of director all method actors longed for on televsion.”

Betty Garde, who played Mrs. Bronson, was a prolific radio and theatre actress who previously appeared in “The Odyssey of Flight 33” as a chatty passenger.

Jason Wingreen, who played Mr. Shuster, previously portrayed the conductor in “Last Stop at Willoughby”.

I have many fond memories of watching this for the first time back in the day and absolutely loving the twist. Atmopsherically oppressive, this episode has stood the test of time and I’d rank it right up there among this season’s best.

Season 3, Episode 11, “Still Valley”

This episode first aired November 24, 1961.

This episode was based on Manly Wade Wellman’s short story “The Valley Was Still” which was first published in the August 1939 issue of Weird Tales.

Cliff Robertson was originally slated to play the part of Sgt. Paradine but he was unable to reschedule some prior commitments, so the role went to Dina Merrill.

One of the script notes Rod Serling received was a suggestion to change the word “hypnotism” to the more widely-used-at-the-time term “mesmerism”. Serling chose to ignore the note.

Actor Gary Merrill, who played Paradine, is perhaps better known for his portrayal of Dr. Leonard Gillespie in Young Dr. Kildare (1972). He eventually left film to pursue politics and, later in life, enjoyed a steady career doing voice work.

Vaughn Taylor, who played Teague, was the first character to be found guilty on Perry Mason (1957). He portrayed Janet Leigh’s boss in Psycho (1960) and appeared in five episodes of The Twilight Zone.

Ben Cooper, who played Dauger, reflected back on his Twilight Zone experience: “I was in awe of Gary Merrill at the time. Merrill was a veteran. He was on the set on time, he knew his lines, and he knew how to overplay his role. I assumed that Merrill researched the subject, and Civil War scouts were like that, because of the tasks they had to perform. JIm, the director, is a good friend of mine. We had been friends for years. Jim told me aside that I was to play my role down a bit, so Gary Merrill would shine on stage.”

Well…okay. A fine episode I suppose but devoid of any clever twist, wondrous reveal, or delightful comeuppance. It culminates all culminates in one of the most muted endings in this show’s run. Not a favorite.

Season 3, Episode 12, “The Jungle”

This episode was first broadcast December 1, 1961.

This episode was based on a short story by the same name (I coincidentally read about a month ago) written by Charles Beaumont and first published in the December 1954 issue of the pulp magazine If: Worlds of Science Fiction.

Producer Buck Houghton was not convinced they could pull off the onscreen adaptation without watering down the original source material.

The board meeting set is the same one used for the board meeting in “A Stop at Willoughby” (1960), while
the stairs in the city street Alan runs up to look into the bar, is the same set from “One for the Angels” (1959) where Louis Bookman made his sales pitch to Mr. Death.

Actor John Dehner, who played Allan Richardson, got his start in show business as an assistant animator at Disney, working on sequences for Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1942) before eventually finding work on radio, film, and television. He auditioned three times for the role of Gunsmoke’s Matt Dillon but ultimately turned down the role because he didn’t want to be typecast as a cowboy. Not sure why he auditioned in the first place.

Reflecting back on this episode, Dehner said: “I was instructed not to smile during the entire film. Take everything serious. I guess it was my saturnine face that cinched it for me. The real challenge was to stay within the marks. They had me run through a park and it was late at night. The sun had set so they placed these markers in the earth so I would run within view of the camera. My job was to keep looking behind me, because something was chasing me through the park. I had difficulty looking behind me and down in front of me to see the markers without Bill shouting for me to stop and do another take. The camera was moving alongside of me as I ran, but I kept getting out of range. I couldn’t look at the markers and look behind me at the same time. As I recall, we went quite a while getting the run through and I got home way after midngiht.”

Emily McLaughlin, who played Doris Richards, was the Queen of Daytime Soaps. She was one of the founding cast members of General Hospital (1963), a show on which she portrayed the character of Jessie Brewer for 28 years until her passing in 1991. Interesting trivia note: In 1982, she adopted a 23 year-old-female fan (!).

Zamba was the 529 pound lion featured in the final scene. He was named after the Zambezi River where he was discovered, near death, by a couple on a photographic safari. They brought him to America and left him in the care of exotic animal trainer Ralph Helfer who owned a ranch called “Nature’s Haven: Wild Animal Rentals Co,” in Van Nuys, California that he opened in 1955. Ralph raised Zamba using his own animal training philosophy he called “Affection Training” that emphasized love, patience, understanding and respect. Zamba had his own bed but often slept at the foot of Ralph’s bed or, occasionally, between Ralph and his wife Toni. Zamba became a beloved family member, coming to Toni’s defense when an employee broke into the home and attempted to assault her, chasing the attacker out of the house.

Because of his gentle disposition (outside of one incident when he tried to maul Bob Denver) he was well known in the entertainment industry. So well known, in fact, that the guards at the various studios would just wave Ralph through whenever they’d spot Zamba sitting in the back of his station wagon.

Zamba passed away peacefully on his 18th birthday. The winner of five PATSY Awards, he was honored with a statue at Africa, USA, a wild animal sanctuary outside of Los Angeles co-founded by Ralph Helfer.

As I said, I read the original short story about a month ago and can confirm the adaptation pales in comparison (Houghton was right!). The final scene of the husband returning home to find the lion feasting on his wife is much more harrowing in the story but, to be fair, this was t.v. in the early 60’s so they could only go so far. Kind of felt sorry for that poor cab driver who ended up collaterol damage, and then casually abadoned in his taxi for, presumably, the police to find the next day.

To be fair, not as bad as I was expecting, but also not good enough to warrant a Top 10 placement.

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September 1, 2024: Sharky Sunday!

Getting his teeth brushed.

Hard chew…

Enjoying his head massage…

Cookie Time!

Quail foot.  Scratch!

Frog legs.  They sound yummy!

Out and About with Sharky…

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August 31, 2024: Our Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 5-8!

Season 3, Episode 5, “A Game of Pool”

This episode was first broadcast October 13, 1961.

This episode was originally titled “The Pool Player”. It was shot entirely on Stage 5 at the MGM Studios.

The ending of the script was rewritten, much to writer George Clayton Johnson’s chagrin. According to Johnson, he was away working on another prouduction, The Intruders, when he received a call from producer Buck Houghton: “So I get this call and I find out that Rod Serling wants to change “A Game of Pool:”. My story in its original form had the veteran pool player outwit and out-gamesmanship the young pool player. And the legend – the man who is dead – is walking away, having won the game, leaving this man behind. But the young man says at the end of the play, “Look, I’m still alive. I can get better. I WILL get better. You’ll hear from me again.” To me that was touching. It’s the story of the old gunfighter and the young gunfighter. And the old gunfighter knows that eventually he’s going to slip and someone’s going to nail him. But as long as he can do it, he keeps on playing. So now they wanted to change it, to reverse it, and make the older pool player lose to the younger pool player. The joke was that now the younger pool player had to be the legend, and sit in heaven and wait for the challenger. And they thought that was all very clever, but I thought it was all very dumb.”

Still, Johnson had nothing but respect for producer Houghton: “In my opinion, he was the finest proucer I ever worked with. In a story session, often the very best ideas in a script would come from him. He acknowledged that Rod was the boss. But Rod deferred to Buck, who made almost all of the decisions.”

Houghton would leave The Twilight Zone after the show’s third season in protest over the decision to extend the episode’s to a one hour format for the show’s fourth season. He was, it turned out, right to object. After leaving The Twilight Zone, he worked on several productions but ended up clashing with some of the talent: Richard Boone on the Richard Boone Show (1963), Jack Lord on Hawaii Five-0 (1968), and an executive producer on Lost in Space (1965). He retired from show business in 1994.

Actress Dee Sharon was cast to play the role of “Brown’s Girlfriend”, a woman who accompanied the Fats Brown character. But after some initial scenes were shot, it was decided to lose the character and her performance ended up on the cutting room floor. Sharon had only one prior credited onscreen role prior to this episode and would not see another.

Of the four Twilight Zone episodes Jack Klugman appeared in, this was his favorite: “From the time I got the script to the last day of shooting which was a matter of weeks, I lived this guy…I knew him inside and out. So I went to Western Costume – I saw the sweater, I saw the hat…with the brim up. I knew exactly what he would be wearing. I knew him and I fell in love with him, and that certainly is a triute to the writer.”

He also spoke very highly of his co-star, Jonathan Winters: “One of the things I loved most about “A Game of Pool” was that there were just two of us…Johnny Winters and myself. And I admired him so much, and he was very nervous because it was a straight part for him, but he was wonderful in it. And every time he’d make a mistake, he would do 20 minutes of a comedy routine…and, I tell you, you’d just be on the floor laughing. But he wanted to be good, and he’d listen to Buzz Kulik, the director. He really worked, and it was so wonderful to have this guy really trying to make it work, and succeeding all the way down the line. He would always say “Well, you know, Jack, after all I’m not an actor. I’m just a comic.” I’d say “Don’t give me that baloney.” He was wonderful….”

Jackie Gleason, who had played Minnesota Fats in The Hustler (1961), had been offered the role of Fats Brown, but after he turned it down, Serling reached out to Winters who had requested the opportunity to be on the show.

Jonathan Winters was a legendary comedian and this was his first, and only, dramatic role. Widely considered to have been the greatest improvisational comic ever, he was greatly admired by another improvisational great, Robin Williams, who cast him in his show, Mork & Mindy. Most of the scenes between them on the show were improvised.

I liked this episode a lot and thought both Klugman and Winters superb in their roles. Despite the fact that much of the episode is just these two guys shooting pool, it’s a compelling half hour. I also thought the ending was great and, while I don’t think Johnson’s original ending was bad, I also don’t think it would have landed as strongly as this one.

Season 3, Episode 6, “The Mirror”

This episode was first broadcast October 20, 1961.

This episode aired six months after the infamous Bay of Pigs fiasco, the horrendously botched CIA attempt to overthrow Castro.

According to the October 17, 1961 Hollywood Reporter, Serling was so impressed with Falk’s acting in other shows that he signed him for two additional TZ appearances. That never happened.

Actor Peter Falk, who played Castro-clone Ramos Clemente, is no doubt best known as Columbo, the rumpled, beloved detective he made famous over the course of 99 episodes. HIs trademark “Just one more thing…” line was a late addiiton because the show’s writers realized they needed the character to ask a few more questions but didn’t want to rewrite the scene, so they simply had him go back and add the line as a segue to further questioning. It became a Columbo mainstay. As did Columbo’s pensive, hand on face look which was actually a result of Falk surreptitiously looking for his mark (a designated area where an actor needs to stand as part of the scene’s blocking). Columbo’s famed raincoat was not from the costume department but actually came out of Falk’s own closet.

Arthur Bitanides, who played Tabal, is perhaps best known as Mr. Kirkland in the four Police Academy movies. Star Trek fans may remember him as the doomed geologist Lieutenant D’Amato from “That Which Surives”. He recalled: “Peter Falk’s character was based loosely on Fidel Castro. It was at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. At one point, we all had to leave the studio dressed in our Latin American outfits. Since there was a lot of anti-Castro bias at the time we felt insecure walking around the streets in these uniforms. It was definitely not the time to be running around looking like one of Castro’s men. I thought somebody might run us down.”

Yep, this is probably it. The worst episode of The Twilight Zone. Everything about this episode is cringingly over-the-top, from the script to the performances, and yet it still manages to be a frustratingly plodding affair. After suffering through this, it’s no wonder Falk never came back for another episode.

Season 3, Episode 7, “The Grave”

This episode was first broadcast October 27, 1961.

Many have pointed to Leo Rosten’s short story “The Path Through the Cemetery”, as the inspiration for this episode although a viewer who wrote in after the episode first aired complained the show was wipping off Anton Chekov. In truth, there are many variations of this story linked by the same three elements: a bet, a grave, and a knife. According to writer/director Montgomery Pitmman, the source of the story was the urban legend his father used to tell him when he was growing up back in Oklahoma. But if you believe actor James Best, who played Johnny Rob in this episode, HE was actually the source: “I was the one responsible for that episode. I told Monty Pittman that I was born in Kentucky but raised in Indiana. One of the things I remember most about my childhopod was the ghost stroies I used to hear. I collected ghost stories. I told Monty a couple of stories and suggested he use one for a television series. he told me “If I write the script and direct it, I’ll have you in the cast.” I told him “You do that.” I can’t recall how much time passed but one day I get word that I am going to be on a Twilight Zone. And I got to work with Lee Van Cleef, Strother Martin and Lee Marvin. And it turns out to be one of those ghost tales. Monty wwas such a pal and he remembered our agreement and kept his word.”

The large fans used on set to give the semblance of constant wind were so loud that the entire cast had to re-record their dialogue.

Actor Lee Mavin, who played Conny Miller, was wounded in battle during the second world war. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon for hsi service. After the war, while working as a plumber’s apprentice, he was called to stand in for an actor who had fallen ill – and fell in love with acting.

He quickly established himself as a nefarious villain in movies like ‘The Big Heat’ (1953) and ‘The Wild One’ (1953) before expanding his repertoire in several lead roles. It was his (double) performance in Cat Ballou (1965) that earned him an Oscar and leading man roles in such films as ‘The Professionals’ (1966), ‘The Dirty Dozen’ (1967), ‘Point Blank’ (1967), ‘Hell in the Pacific’ (1968), and many more. Among the parts he turned down were lead roles in Patton (1970), Dirty Harry (1971), The French Connection (1971), Death Wish (1974), and Sorcerer (1977). He also turned down the role of Quint in Jaws (1977).

Actor James Best reminisced on working with Marvin on this episode: “Lee Marvin was a drinker. There is no way to hide that. He would take a few down in the morning when we reported to the set. You could smell it on his breath. But you know, some people have a problem with alcohol and others can hold their liquor. He showed up on the set ane knew his lines forwards and backwards.”

An accomplished actor in his own right, Best is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sheriff Rosco Coltrane in The Dukes of Hazzard (1979).

Strother Martin, who played Mothershed, was a character actor who was often cast as crazed villains. In reality, he loved to garden and listen to classical music,

Lee Van Cleef, who played Steinhart, almost gave up acting after hitting a dry patch following movies like High Noon (1952) and How the West Was Won (1962)., but he enjoyed a career resurgence after starring opposite Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More (1965).

Elen Willard, who played Ione Sykes, apparently left the business several years later because she found its demands too emotionally taxing.

Finally, Stafford Rapp, who played Ira Broadley, is perhaps best remembered as Police Chief O’Hara in the 1966 Batman series.

Overall, a nice little ghost story that, I thought, might have played better had we gotten more of a sense of Conny Miller’s fear. Marvin plays the character so cool and inscrutable that it robs the build-up and subsequent graveyard payoff of much of its tension. A fine episode, but one that will, when all’s said and done, probably end up in the middle of the pack.

Season 3, Episode 8, “It’s a Good Life”

This episode first aired November 3, 1961.

This episode boasts the longest narrative intro of any Twilight Zone episode.

The stop motion dinosaur sequence was compliments of Jack Harris, the man responsible for the dinosaur sequence in “The Odyssey of Flight 33”. In the original script, the onscreen images were described as weird shapes and forms and occasional eerie faces (which, I think, would have been much creepier) but they opted to go with the dinosaurs instead.

TV Guide named this episode amongs its 100 Best Episodes of a TV Series Ever Made.

In 1974, Rod Serling completed a screenplay for a feature version of this episode, but he died the following year and the script went unproduced.

This episode was one of four to be remade for the pointless Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) and included a happy ending – that longtime fans hated.

This episode is based on a short story by Jerome Bixby. In the story, the character of Anthony is not an apple-pie-faced boy but a monstrous mutation the neighborhood children secretly refer to as “the goblin”. The story offers a much bleaker and more pessimistic ending – which I honestly can’t imagine being any bleaker and more pessimistic than the version I watched.

Bill Mumy and Cloris Leachman reprised their roles in the 2003 “It’s Still a Good Life” that checks in on the town and Anthony who now has a young daughter who is exhibiting the same powers he manifested at an early age.

Actor John Larch, who played Mr. Freemont, previously appeared in season 1’s “Perchance to Dream” as Dr. Rathman and season 2’s “Dust” as Sheriff Koch.

Cloris Leachman, who played Mrs. Freemont, established herself as a premiere television actress in the 50’s and 60’s. She played the character of Phyllis Lindstrom in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and its spinoff Phyllis (1975). She won nine Emmy Awards over the course of her illustrious career.

Billy Mumy, who we last saw in “Long Distance Call”, reflected fondly back on this episode: “He was a character that I loved. Becaue even though he wasn’t superman or Zorro, he wasn’t a caped superhero, he was the epitome of the most powerful superhero you can imagine. To me, even at seven years old, playing Anthony was just really kind of why I wanted to get into TV…in the first place.”

This one is a classic for a damn good reason. It’s downright unsettling from the get-go and just builds in eeriness, ultimately delivering what I would consider a gold standard Twilight Zone episode. No trademark twist, but I didn’t miss it. Right now, it sits at the top of my season 3 rankings.

 

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